New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: CB Cam Smith

Nick takes a look at another cornerback prospect from the very deep position group.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Apr 4, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

South Carolina Gamecocks

Cam Smith, CB

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs.
Class: RS-Junior
School: South Carolina
Age: 22 (12/21/2000)

Combine Measurements

Arm length: 31 ⅝”
Hand size: 9 ⅛”
40-yard-dash: 4:43
10-yard-split: 1.49
Vertical jump: 38”
Broad jump: 11’2”

A former four-star recruit who played three years at Meade High School in Maryland before playing his senior season at Westwood High School in Blythewood, South Carolina. Smith was the 19th CB and the 2nd recruit in South Carolina during the 2019 cycle.

Notables

An effective starting CB in the SEC with snaps outside and in the slot who allowed less than a 50% catch rate over the last two seasons. [STATS]

Pro Football Focus had Smith as the second-highest graded coverage cornerback (of corners that played 25% of their team’s snaps) in 2021. He ranked 9th in the FBS with 1.3 passes defended per game. Was Second-Team All-SEC the last two seasons, and PFF had him as an honorable mention All-American in 2021.

Strengths

Good height with solid length for the position
Excellent athlete with elite short-area quickness and burst

Very explosive player who is a smooth mover

Explodes from 0 to 100 out of a stagnant position
Impressive speed, agility, with good change-of-direction skills
Oiled up hips that open and close well--balanced and controlled player
Despite less-than-ideal press footwork, he stays right in phase against WRs in press
Has reps of elite press technique - suggests there’s room for growth

Mizzou Q3, 11:26, 3rd & 9

Played off-man well with good angle judgment and quick speed to close width
Smooth backpedal with no wasted steps from off-coverage and zone

Footwork is great in a slight turn coming back to WR on curls - stays low

Clicks & closes downhill with haste
Quickly gets to WRs hips on horizontal routes from off
Good leverage in zone coverage with good eye discipline
Processes routes in front of him and understands concepts
Very smart player
Always communicates with his teammates in zone and match
Excellent overall man coverage ability - stays in the hip pocket of WRs
Executes smooth speed turns
Turns and locates the football with good timing
Displayed good acceleration and recovery ability when beaten

Clemson Q2, 2:09, 1st & 10

Menace at the catch point; gets lead hand to the football with backhand on WR’s hip
Attacks the football with determination
Will be aggressive on third-down conversions

Tennessee Q3, 13:25, 3rd & 6

Solid tackler coming downhill on receivers catching the football
Delivers good pop on contact in open space against receivers turning around
Very tough player with an elite competitive nature in coverage
Shut down Jalin Hyatt (held him to 65 yards while operating in the slot)

Did, however, give up a touchdown to Cedric Tillman on a fade

Leader of the Gamecocks' secondary

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Weaknesses

Lean frame, underweight
Footwork in press coverage isn’t always patient

Vanderbilt Q1 9:41, 2nd & 15 that went for a 66 yd TD

Has false steps in press coverage
Gets very grabby - even if he doesn’t have to - 10 penalties in 2022, 15 in total
Grabs on pivots routes
Marginal tackler in run support who aims high and is wild - not a wrap-up player
Wish his tackling was more reliable
Was dinged up throughout the last two seasons, resulting in early exits from games
Missed fall camp with a foot injury that required surgery during his sophomore season

His coach stated that the surgery was of little concern, and the CB played in Week 1 (didn’t start)

Summary

Cam Smith is a versatile cornerback who is smart, smooth, and determined at the catch point. He’s equipped to play man coverage at the NFL level, and he was the leader of South Carolina’s defensive secondary.

Smith’s burst and ability to close width allowed him to effectively play off-man against Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt in the slot - Smith held him to 65 yards while playing as a nickel, despite most of his snaps being outside.

His press technique leaves some to be desired, but his fluidity and sticky man coverage nature allowed him to stay in the receiver’s hip pockets. His footwork can be cleaned up, but the alpha mentality, processing, and athletic traits are excellent translatable traits to a Wink Martindale defense.

If Smith can clean up his propensity to grab WRs (even when it’s not necessary) and his very inconsistent footwork in press coverage, then he has the potential to reach his very high ceiling as a CB1.

Despite his physicality, he’s not a plus tackler, which is frustrating and inconsistent with how he battles receivers for the football at the catch point. Still, man coverage corners aren’t easy to find; there are a few in this class, and South Carolina’s Cam Smith is one of them.

GRADE: 6.41