ESPN Analyst Compares USC and Alabama WR Draft Prospects

The biggest difference between DeVonta Smith and Amon-Ra St. Brown's game revealed.

Claudette Montana Pattison | Mar 11, 2021

USC and Alabama are two schools known for producing top talent at the wide receiver position.

This year the Trojans send two wideouts into the 2021 NFL Draft in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns. Alabama is also sending their fair share of talent in Heisman winner DeVonta Smith and junior Jaylen Waddle.

All four of these NFL draft prospects are talented in their own right, but what sets them apart?

We brought in ESPN and Sports Illustrated college football analyst Jim Mora Jr. to discuss further.

Comparing USC's Amon-Ra St. Brown and Alabama's DeVonta Smith, Mora believes the biggest difference is speed.

"You can’t catch Devonta [Smith]. When he gets free in the open field whether it's as a [wide] receiver or as a returner you just can't catch him. He's got tremendous burst, acceleration, and he's got a knack for making people miss [him] in the open field. He has got what we call long-speed."

Mora went on to say, “He’s got more length than Amon-Ra [St. Brown]. You know Amon-Ra [St. Brown] is a fairly compact young man, where you look at DeVonta [Smith] and he is long."

Comparing these two wideouts, Amon-Ra St. Brown sits at 6'1", 195-pounds while Smith sits at 6'1", 175-pounds. Despite their dimension differences, Mora believes that these two will serve different purposes for teams in the NFL.

“Amon-Ra [St. Brown] at this point, is a game controller. He is going to go into the NFL and on third down he is going to make the tough catch and take the hit. But he is going to move the sticks. Where Devonta [Smith] is going to change the numbers on the scoreboard.” [Mora]

According to the NFL.com, Amon-Ra St. Brown is projected to be drafted somewhere in the second round. He has hovered the No. 58 spot which would send him to the Baltimore Ravens next year.

DeVonta Smith is projected to be a first round draft pick, possibly going No.11 overall to the New York Giants [per NFL's Chad Reuter].

-----