Post Senior Bowl Mock

[*ochocincos*]

(02-09-2018, 01:14 AM)Jpoore Wrote: If he played mike get ready for an average rb to run for 300+ yards on us. He is out of position so much bc he runs around blocks. If a guard gets his hands on him forget it he's over in the play.

That's obviously an exaggeration on what a RB would do simply because of one LB being under 230 lbs.
I like Smith because he's very fast, good to diagnose, can cover, and has shown to attack the LOS like a missile.
And more RBs are being used in the passing game, which is an obvious strength of Smith as a defender.
And besides, the NFL is changing when it comes to demands for ILBs. More and more ILBs are coming into the NFL and succeeding that are undersized because of their speed.
Shazier, Foster, Kendricks, and Deion Jones are all considered Top-10 ILBs in the NFL by many because if the same traits that Roquan Smith possesses.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2752307-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-inside-linebackers-of-2017-season

I get the liking for Edmunds over Smith, I do. He could be that perfect blend of size, speed, athleticism, and pop that Smith might never reach because he's smaller.
But to act like Smith will be a bad pick just because of his size clearly shows you just prefer bigger LBs inside even though the league is moving toward smaller, faster LBs to improve pass coverage.