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Bama News
Prior to his record-breaking performance against Ole Miss, DeVonta Smith was known as the guy who got behind Georgia's secondary and caught the game-winning pass in overtime to win the national championship game as a freshman at Alabama.
But 11 catches for 274 yards and five touchdowns in a single game do something for a player's profile, creating a wave of momentum in NFL Draft buzz that rivals projected first-round teammates at the position Jerry Jeudy, the reigning Biletnikoff winner and Henry Ruggs, who might be the fastest player in college football.
What's the latest on Smith, who will be draft-eligible for 2020, from the league's point of view?
“Not very strong and REALLY skinny, but he’s a good athlete with good speed,” one AFC scouting director told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer on Monday. “Will drop the football too, that’s been a problem. He’s a solid mid-round player, but you worry when he’s not surrounded by all that talent, if his deficiencies show up a lot more.”
Considering Alabama's bevy of weaponry at wideout, it's surprising someone in the know considers Smith a potential risk when he's not on the same offense as Jeudy and Ruggs. After all, his yards-after-catch explosion against the Rebels had nothing to do with his two better-known teammates.
“Like the coaches tell us, they’re not going to teach us how to be runners," Smith said after the game. "What we do with the ball in our hands, they're not going to coach that. If we catch something short and we take it, that’s what they want.
"Nobody wants to just catch the ball and be like, ‘Okay, I’m just gonna go down right now.’”
As 247Sports national analyst Chris Hummer noted in a post-game article on Smith, Alabama's third option had one of the most impressive receiving efforts in college football history. Comparing his outing to other recent memorable performances, Smith's stands above most:
- Smith is one of only nine players since 2000 with 250-plus receiving yards and four touchdowns in a game.
- Smith is one of only 12 players since 2000 with five receiving touchdowns in a game Smith is one of only three players since 200 with 10 catches, 270-plus yards and five touchdowns, joining Stedman Bailey (West Virginia) and Carlos Henderson (Louisiana Tech).
- From an SEC perspective, Smith’s touchdown mark tied the SEC’s all-time record and slotted sixth in receiving yards.
What's frightening about Smith and Alabama's record-setting pace through five weeks is that the Crimson Tide could get better according to Nick Saban, who believes his team "left a lot of plays" out there against Ole Miss despite scoring 59 points.
Smith will be selected in next year's draft if he chooses to declare after the season and "mid-round" sounds like a worst-case grade for him.
