New England Patriots Rookie Profile: J'Mar Smith
- Position: Quarterback
- Age: 23
- Hometown: Meridian MS
- College: Louisiana Tech
Measurables
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 218 pounds
- Arms: N/A
- Hands: N/A
Combine Results
- N/A
Just minutes after the 2020 NFL Draft concluded, the New England Patriots signed J'Mar Smith.
Smith has the arm talent of an NFL-calibur quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres as a catcher, which tells you the kind of arm he has. During his three-year stint at Louisiana Tech, he threw for 9,523 yards, 51 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and completed 59% of his passes. In 2019 he was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year after having a season in which threw 18 touchdowns, five interceptions and 2,977 yards, which earned him an 84.5 overall PFF grade and a 82.3 passing grade. He was also labeled as a "dual-threat" quarterback in college, as he gathered 15 touchdowns on the ground the past three seasons.
If he has all the physical talent, then why did he go undrafted? Well, for several reasons, which both pertain to his mentality. In 2019 he was suspended for two games because of an "athletic department policy violation" which may be why NFL teams stayed away from drafting him. He also has poor pocket awareness, which causes him to not feel pressure and not see the blitz coming at times. And he also struggles with downfield vision at times, which makes him miss opportunities in the passing game.
Even though Smith is part of a quarterback room in New England that has several young, unproven quarterbacks, if he wants to make the team it will have to be through the practice squad. The Patriots seldom carry three quarterbacks on the roster, with the exception of last year, which was done to help with Stidham's improvement during practice.
If Smith can make the practice squad and stay there - which may be tough considering another team could pluck him from there and sign him - it would be a great option for a Patriots team that could use a dual-threat quarterback on their scout team during the season. With teams like the Cardinals, Ravens, Texans and Bills on the schedule for this upcoming season - all of which have quarterbacks that like to use their legs - having Smith's ability at their dispense during practice would be an incredibly valuable asset.
