As soon as seen as a possible Day 2 prospect within the 2022 NFL Draft, how does the 2023 NFL Draft scouting report of Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith evaluate? Smith has an extremely intriguing background and ability set. And if all goes effectively in his senior season, it could possibly be a ability set that vaults him into the early rounds subsequent April.
Ainias Smith NFL draft profile
Smith already tasks as one of the versatile gamers within the 2023 NFL Draft. So it gained’t shock you that this man did actually every little thing as a highschool soccer participant. At Dulles Excessive College in Sugar Land, Texas, Smith performed WR, CB, FS, and ran the ball as effectively.
Smith’s stat traces from highschool mirror his all-around impression as a participant and expertise. At operating again, he put up 161 carries for 1,232 yards and 5 scores. In his senior season alone, he caught 55 passes for 717 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the meantime, on the defensive aspect, he put up three interceptions and 15 go deflections.
Despite his manufacturing and robust athletic testing — which included a 4.51 40-yard sprint and a 36.4″ vertical — Smith was a mere three-star recruit. However Texas A&M noticed his potential and signed him as a flexible WR/RB hybrid.
Thus far, Smith has performed at each spots extensively. In whole, he’s amassed 112 catches, 1,321 yards, and 15 touchdowns, together with 64 carries for 373 yards and 4 scores on the bottom. However there’s nonetheless a way that his breakout at receiver continues to be to come back. Maybe it would lastly occur in 2022.
- Place: WR
- College: Texas A&M
- Present Yr: Senior
- Top/Weight: 5’10”, 190 kilos
Ainias Smith scouting report
An unconventional receiving menace with an unconventional upbringing on the place, Smith is a captivating prospect within the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. What does the Texas A&M WR convey to the desk, and the way do his traits venture within the NFL?
Smith’s positives
At 5’10”, 190 kilos, Ainias Smith brings an exhilarating model of athleticism to the fold. The Texas A&M WR is an excellent lateral athlete who can levy fast cuts in fast succession. He possesses quantifiably elite twitch, and he’s an amped-up participant who carries an immense quantity of potential power on each play.
Smith is a jittery athlete with very good change of route, and his free hips enable him to govern angles with uncommon suddenness. On prime of that, Smith additionally has field-stretching velocity and explosiveness in area. He can speed up in a short time upfield but additionally has high-end short-area explosiveness. He’s proven he can cowl massive quantities of floor with every lower. His burst additionally exhibits up on the catch level, the place he has the vertical athleticism to rise and high-point passes.
Smith’s model of athleticism interprets very effectively in a number of phases. However the potential is particularly alluring after the catch. A former RB, Smith is an extremely versatile prospect who can line up within the backfield, within the slot, or out vast. He brings harmful potential as a movement man and thrives when he will get schemed the ball in area. Smith shows spectacular area imaginative and prescient and consciousness with the ball in his arms, and his effervescent twitch allows him to work defenders off-balance.
As a runner, Smith can successfully decrease his middle of gravity and preserve his stability by cuts when accruing run-after-catch yards. He has a stunning diploma of contact stability for his body, as he’s in a position to take in hits at occasions. However his chief defining trait is his mixture of elusiveness and agility. That blend allows Smith to swim by congested areas and get into area, the place his burst can then be maximized.
Smith is already a venerable RAC menace, however his traits grant simply as a lot upside as a route runner. The Texas A&M WR can seamlessly transition and divert course along with his change-of-direction skill. He has extremely quick ft as effectively. He can maintain defenders on the stem with abrupt bursts of lightning-quick footwork, then explode upfield and achieve separation immediately.
Smith has proven shiny flashes along with his work at stems. He has the pressing ft and throttle management to govern area and create leverage for himself towards defenders. Past that, he’s flashed wonderful use of eye manipulation. He can use his eyes to bait defenders into enjoying the ball forward of breaks. Moreover, he can throttle up into stems, cease on a dime, redirect, and use focused bouts of physicality.
Smith has a variety of hybrid attraction, however he has proven glimpses of reliable receiving chops in a comparatively small pattern. Smith flashes efficient physique management on the catch level, exhibiting he could be proactive in working towards the ball. The Texas A&M WR can observe the ball over his shoulder and information it in along with his arms. He’s additionally proven he can haul in passes over the center of the sphere amidst contact.
Amongst different issues, Smith carries an energetic, combative disposition as a blocker and is a high-energy competitor in all phases.
Smith’s areas for enchancment
At his measurement, Smith is of course a smaller athlete with a shorter wingspan and lacks elite body density. His wingspan limits his catch radius when imprecise targets come his manner. Moreover, he’s not as constant working by contact on the catch level. Along with his smaller body and lesser play energy, he could be outmuscled at occasions.
Going additional, Smith can work to extra constantly make use of physicality at route stems to compound separation. He doesn’t all the time run his routes to full capability and could be extra exhaustive when using his athletic traits.
Moreover, Smith can higher leverage his routes downfield and may extra effectively use area. He runs along with his pad stage too excessive too usually, which could be a problem when making an attempt to sink hips or sow deception at stems. General, he has room to maintain increasing his route tree and maximizing his arsenal as a separator.
Elsewhere, Smith has room to turn out to be extra snug extending past his body for passes and utilizing the diamond hand approach. He’s vulnerable to occasional focus drops, particularly when threatened with instant contact. In area, Smith ought to use assorted stride lengths extra usually, as his quick strides don’t all the time cowl floor effectively in area. Along with his shorter strides, he additionally lacks elite surefire breakaway velocity.
Lastly, Smith can extra constantly stand up to arm tackles sweeping on the legs, and his measurement can impede his skill to maintain blocks downfield or delay blitzers within the backfield.
Present draft projection for Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith
Ainias Smith might in the end fall to Day 3, relying on how his 2022 season performs out. However he does have prime 100 potential, and perhaps even early-to-mid Day 2 potential at his max projection.
Smith stays a really intriguing case examine on the vast receiver place. He’s a positional convert who’s solely lately transitioned to WR full time. And his manufacturing metrics probably gained’t endear him on the analytical spectrum. However on tape, there’s loads of purpose to be excited concerning the potential that Smith holds.
2022 would be the 12 months for Smith to lock in his inventory. However proper now, it’s straightforward to be bullish on the traits which might be there. Regardless of being undersized, Smith has a supremely energetic play type, mixing explosiveness, agility, and twitch into a really harmful concoction. His suddenness and twitch are elite and grant him sky-high potential as a RAC menace. To that finish, if he can maintain engaged on using his traits effectively as a separator, he could possibly be a nightmare for defensive backs one-on-one.
The realm of concern for Smith is the part on the catch level. His wingspan is shorter, he’s visibly been outmuscled on a number of events, and drops are a notable concern at this level. However there’s purpose to imagine that, as Smith accrues extra reps as a pure WR, he’ll achieve higher consolation for the position.
Nonetheless simply 21 years outdated, Smith stays a younger, high-upside choice within the 2023 NFL Draft class. Quite a bit hinges on his efficiency in 2022, however Smith has Day 2 upside. And for groups that worth playmakers who focus on area, Smith could be a true offensive catalyst at a great worth.
