Could Gang Green Wind up With Draft’s Best Player…Again?

STRENGTHS: He is a greased up athlete with natural twitch and flexibility, showing balance, burst and excellent speed in pursuit. Scouts are enthralled with Smith’s explosiveness and it isn’t difficult to understand why.He reads plays quickly and keeps his eyes glued on the ball to collect himself in space and burst toward the ballcarrier with excellent closing speed. Shows tremendous secondary quickness to unhook himself from blocks and make up ground in a flash.

He might be the nation’s most forceful tackler, generating incredible power to knock ballcarriers back. Smith is every bit as fast and fluid as he is powerful, however, slipping by (or leaping over) would-be blockers in the running game and dropping effectively in coverage.

It is the ability to play back in coverage and rush the passer that makes Smith such an exciting prospect, as proponents of the 4-3 and 3-4, alike, will see him as a true three down defender.

WEAKNESSES: Smith lacks elite take-on strength for the position and can be late to stack-and-shed.

IN OUR VIEW: In today’s ultra-specialized NFL, defenses routinely substitute powerful linebackers on running downs and faster, more agile defenders on obvious passing plays. Teams won’t have to swap Smith out, however. Along with injured UCLA outside linebacker Myles Jack (also a projected top 10 pick), Smith is the most versatile and pro-ready linebacker in the country.

–Dane Brugler & Rob Rang (11/29/15)

PLAYER OVERVIEW

Smith will almost surely earn the highest selection of a Notre Dame defender since the San Francisco 49ers made defensive tackle Bryant Young the No. 7 overall pick of the 1994 draft.A player who Irish coach Brian Kelly said is the best he’s ever coached, Smith is a freakish athlete who makes plays on the football field that few others at the college level are capable of making. He has the range, instincts and competitive drive that makes him a highly sought after NFL prospect.

Notre Dame’s top tackler from 2014, Smith made most of the defensive calls as a true sophomore and separated himself as one of the top NFL prospects in the country.

As a freshman at Notre Dame, Smith had just 58 tackles (5.5 for loss), but he would pile up 226 tackles (18 for loss) and 4.5 sacks over the course of his next two seasons.

Now, even having had reconstructive knee surgery for his torn ACL and MCL, Smith intends to enter the NFL draft.

If the knee checks out and is cleared by the Jets medical staff, and they’re willing to live with the fact that he may not see the filed in 2016, they may find themselves with the opportunity to get yet another top-rated defensive player far later than anyone could have expected.  A choice that will allow them the opportunity to team Smith with last year’s steal, Leonard Williams in possibly building one of the NFL’s best front seven’s for years to come.