2023 NFL Draft: Is South Carolina's Cam Smith a Fit for the Jaguars?

Could the productive SEC cornerback be the Jaguars answer in the first- or second-round?

The 2023 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold nine picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 24 overall pick.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

Overview

A four-star recruit in the 2019 class, Smith stayed close to him as a South Carolina native. He was ranked by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, tabbed as their No. 4 cornerback prospect and a top-40 recruit in the 2019 class. Smith was also the No. 2 player from South Carolina in the class, trailing only five-star defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, who also committed to the Gamecocks. 

Smith received 25 offers out of high school, including from Georgia, Florida State and Tennessee. He ultimately committed to South Carolina and went on to play in three games as a freshman while still retaining his first-year eligibility. 

Smith appeared in eight games and made three starts as a redshirt freshman in 2020, recording 16 tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions. He then saw his stock soar after his redshirt sophomore season in 2021, being named second team All-SEC by the Associated Press after starting seven games and recorded three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 2.5 tackles for loss. 

Smith returned to school in 2022, starting 11 games and recording six pass breakups and an interception, missing just one start. He finished his Gamecocks career with 91 tackles, six interceptions and 24 pass breakups.

What Cam Smith Does Well

In terms of short-area quickness, there might be many better cornerbacks in the 2023 class than Smith. Whether in zone or press coverage, Smith routine.y showed off lightning-quick footwork and change of direction, giving him a lot of lateral range that aided him in coverage. Whether against in- or out-breaking routes or vertical concepts, Smith's quick feet and loose hips consistently helped him stay in phase with cornerbacks. 

As a zone corner, Smith does an excellent job reading the eyes of quarterbacks and timing his transitions downhill. He excels at jumping routes and is rarely stagnant when in zone, quickly passing routes over and moving from target to target. He drives downhill quickly and with authority, showing good reaction time when in off coverage. 

In man coverage, Smith does a good job of using his hands and his frame to challenge wideouts. He rarely lets receivers get a clean release off the line, forcing them to adjust their routes before they get to top of them. He also shows a wonderful understanding of how to pin receivers to the sideline on vertical routes, using his length and aggressiveness to use the sideline as an obstacle. 

How Cam Smith Would Fit With the Jaguars

Smith isn't as toolsy of a cornerback as others the Jaguars and Trent Baalke have targeted in recent years, but he does bring two things the Jaguars covet: a physical and competitive play style and length. Smith plays with a chip on his shoulder and, despite his lean frame, has the length to challenge receivers at the catch point and attack their frame. The Jaguars have placed an emphasis on length at all positions on defense, but especially cornerback. 

In terms of where he would play, Smith is a better pure coverage fit for the Jaguars' 2023 needs than some other prospects. He has the foot-speed and change of direction ability to play in the nickel in 2023 while Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams man the outside cornerback positions, and he would give the Jaguars an option to start on the outside in the post-Williams years. 

Smith is likely a better cover nickel than he is a pure nickel because, despite his tenacity, he isn't a great run defender and his ability to handle run fits could be hit-or-miss. But if the Jaguars want a versatile cornerback who they can trust in coverage at both cornerback spots, Smith makes sense. 

The other aspect of Smith's game that plays into his fit with the Jaguars is his ability to play both man and zone coverage equally well. The Jaguars started the year as a man team before pivoting to heavy zone looks. The likely ideal scenario is a mix of both, meeting in the middle between man and zone and utilizing both. Smith is a cornerback whose skills could go a long way toward being versatile in coverage.

Verdict

When watching Smith, it is hard to talk one's self into being a top-24 pick. He is a bit too grabby downfield and may not have the long-speed and frame to hold up with all types of receivers downfield. With that said, this shouldn't take away from what he does well and the value his versatility and short-area athleticism would bring. 

Smith ultimately figures to be a cornerback who is better suited as a Day 2 pick. Thanks to his ability to press and play zone, his aggressive play-style, and his inside/outside versatility, he would be a good value pick for the Jaguars at No. 56. He is a good player who makes sense for the Jaguars, it is just about determining where it is justifiable to select him.

For all of our 2023 NFL Draft profiles, click below.

• CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
• CB/S Brian Branch, Alabama
• TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame