Indy medical combine - DeVonta Smith

[*ochocincos*]

We know that DeVonta Smith has avoided doing drills at even getting measured and weighed throughout much of this offseason. One is to assume it's because he was worried about any drills or measurements affecting his draft stock.
Well, he got weighed and measured at the Indy medical combine...

Height - 6'0"
Weight - 166 lbs

The weight was always a concern, but being under 170 lbs is probably not what even the skeptics expected.

https://dknation.draftkings.com/2021/4/21/22395597/devonta-smith-weight-weigh-in-indy-medicals-alabama-pro-day-2021-nfl-draft

There have been players (e.g. Cole Beasley, DeSean Jackson) who have succeeded playing under 180 lbs, but it's rare.
Also, players who are usually 180 or lower in the NFL are also typically 5'10" or shorter.

This weight might knock Smith down to being the third WR taken.

[*SHRacerX*]

People knocked Ross for his size and he was 190 lbs. The guy HAS to be put in motion to play to his strengths and he got injured when he got ONE big hit in the NC game. The guy is crazy talented but I wouldn't touch a player with that many limitations early in the draft.

[Stewy]

twig *snap*

[*ochocincos*]

(04-21-2021, 12:26 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: People knocked Ross for his size and he was 190 lbs.  The guy HAS to be put in motion to play to his strengths and he got injured when he got ONE big hit in the NC game.  The guy is crazy talented but I wouldn't touch a player with that many limitations early in the draft.

Definitely true, but that was also influenced by his numerous injuries leading up to draft day.
Had he been basically healthy up to draft day, I doubt there would have been as much concern of him being durable at 5'11", 188 lb.

As for Smith, I think he was a great WR in college, but I don't see him being as good as Chase or Waddle in the NFL. I think he'll be a good slot guy and probably put up WR2 numbers, but I don't see him as a true WR1.
Heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see Terrace Marshall and/or Rashod Bateman outproduce Smith in the NFL when it's all said and done.

[*SHRacerX*]

(04-21-2021, 12:52 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Definitely true, but that was also influenced by his numerous injuries leading up to draft day.
Had he been basically healthy up to draft day, I doubt there would have been as much concern of him being durable at 5'11", 188 lb.

As for Smith, I think he was a great WR in college, but I don't see him being as good as Chase or Waddle in the NFL. I think he'll be a good slot guy and probably put up WR2 numbers, but I don't see him as a true WR1.
Heck, it wouldn't surprise me to see Terrace Marshall and/or Rashod Bateman outproduce Smith in the NFL when it's all said and done.

"Production" at WR is variable on so many levels.  Marshal and Bateman will be outside WRs.  If you have an elite outside WR, it opens up the middle for your TE and slot WRs.  I don't see an elite slot WR opening up the outside so much.  Smith is an anomoly.  He is fairly tall at 6'1" but a stick figure below 170 lbs.  And that is with him probably TRYING to weigh more.  NFL rigors, that dude might be 155 lbs.  

Waddle might play outside or inside, depending on the team.  

I would imagine that Chase would take those 104 targets that went to AJ Green last year, and I would imagine him coming down with 70 of them over 43.  If he catches 70 balls, you can count on at least 1000 yards, possibly more like 1200 because he is not easy to bring down and has great catch on the run ability.  If he does that, imagine what Uzo, Sample, Boyd, and Higgins can do.  I am not sure if there has been a team with three 1000 yard receivers (all from WRs) but that would be very realistic here.

[*ochocincos*]

(04-21-2021, 01:12 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: "Production" at WR is variable on so many levels.  Marshal and Bateman will be outside WRs.  If you have an elite outside WR, it opens up the middle for your TE and slot WRs.  I don't see an elite slot WR opening up the outside so much.  Smith is an anomoly.  He is fairly tall at 6'1" but a stick figure below 170 lbs.  And that is with him probably TRYING to weigh more.  NFL rigors, that dude might be 155 lbs.  

Waddle might play outside or inside, depending on the team.  

I would imagine that Chase would take those 104 targets that went to AJ Green last year, and I would imagine him coming down with 70 of them over 43.  If he catches 70 balls, you can count on at least 1000 yards, possibly more like 1200 because he is not easy to bring down and has great catch on the run ability.  If he does that, imagine what Uzo, Sample, Boyd, and Higgins can do.  I am not sure if there has been a team with three 1000 yard receivers (all from WRs) but that would be very realistic here.

If you're taking a WR in the Top 10, you should be looking for a WR that will not only be the most productive on your team, but also probably with potential to be a Top 10 WR in the league by the time they are in their prime.

That's my take anyway.

In terms of three WRs being at 1000+ yards, I think the closest in recent memory would be CAR last year.
DJ Moore and Robby Anderson both had over 1000 yards, and Curtis Samuel had 851.
Samuel also had 200 yards rushing, so he did exceed 1000 yards from scrimmage.
We're also more likely to see it now that there will be 17 games in the season.

[*Synric*]

Not doing drills because of his hand at Alabama's Pro Day then catching balls now 166lbs. I'm pretty low in DeVonta Smith.

[yang]

I just saw a stat on Twitter showing WR's drafted who weighed under 170 going back I think 15 years, and I didn't know a one of them. Oddly, Tutu Atwell is on the short list this year.

[Hammerstripes]

(04-21-2021, 12:26 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: People knocked Ross for his size and he was 190 lbs.  The guy HAS to be put in motion to play to his strengths and he got injured when he got ONE big hit in the NC game.  The guy is crazy talented but I wouldn't touch a player with that many limitations early in the draft.

It was his hand, hardly frame-related.

That being said, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen by a WR.  Not sure it will translate to the NFL, but he was unstoppable.

[*SHRacerX*]

(04-21-2021, 04:05 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: It was his hand, hardly frame-related.

That being said, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen by a WR.  Not sure it will translate to the NFL, but he was unstoppable.

Yep, he absolutely was, and in the NFL I doubt he will be singled with a guy like Shawn Wade that had to chase him all over the field as he was always featured in motion (something I wish the Bengals had tried more with Ross). 

As far as the injury being hand vs. body goes:  There is a VERY short list of guys that have been successful in the NFL at his size.  It isn't hating Smith.  I called him amazing.  It is playing the %s.  

[*ochocincos*]

The problem with Smith in regards to the other prospects is he's not as fast as Waddle (possibly Chase now too), he isn't as physical as Chase, and he isn't as thick and/or tall as someone like Rashod Bateman, Terrace Marshall, or Nico Collins.

But the guy was an absolute playmaker at Alabama, even though he didn't have the metrics.

Given all the Bengals' needs, he's not someone I'd gamble on.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(04-21-2021, 02:05 PM)yang Wrote: I just saw a stat on Twitter showing WR's drafted who weighed under 170 going back I think 15 years, and I didn't know a one of them. Oddly, Tutu Atwell is on the short list this year.

Here is every WR under 167 pounds to enter the NFL since 2000: pic.twitter.com/Mu65APLozZ

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 21, 2021

Pretty much Hollywood Brown, and...

[*ochocincos*]

(04-22-2021, 11:16 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote:

Here is every WR under 167 pounds to enter the NFL since 2000: pic.twitter.com/Mu65APLozZ

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 21, 2021

Pretty much Hollywood Brown, and...

And Marquise Brown is only 5'9", so he's not as gangly as Smith.
It's also probably not good to be compared to Brown though, as he's not had more than 769 yards.
If you're spending a Top 15 pick on a WR, you better damn well hope to get more production than that.