SI All-American Candidate James Smith Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE James Smith
Projected Position: Defensive End
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
School: Virginia Beach (Va.) Princess Anne
Schools of Interest: Maryland, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Temple, Charlotte and Old Dominion, among others.
Frame: Good overall size. Impressive width across shoulders and chest. Long arms. Taut, developing thighs and trunk, with degree of natural girth. Ample room for additional weight.
Athleticism: Fluid for position. Relatively quick feet and loose hips. Changes directions well in space; flattens to quarterback in a hurry. Good open-field speed. Functional strength, though not especially powerful.
Instincts: Only average get-off at snap. Routinely beats linemen at POA with lower-body wiggle, arm activity. Shows natural bend turning to target once getting corner on tackle. Effective in backside pursuit, though doesn’t always make second effort needed to affect play. Shoots arms high for knockdown as quarterback begins throwing motion.
Polish: Needs to develop plan as pass-rusher after initial move stymied. Flashes slap and arm over, but has dexterity for full toolbox. Must prove he can set edge, anchor against Power-5 linemen.
Bottom Line: Smith is a classic weakside defensive in a 4-3 scheme. Lacks athletic dynamism needed to play from two-point stance, though quick-twitch traits could improve with training. High-end ceiling of Power-5 starter with additional weight, though may top out as quality reserve.