Brandon Smith LB Penn State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Brandon Smith LB Penn State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: COVERAGE LB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/30/2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (92%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 04/12/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| NFL Combine Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PLAY STYLE: COVERAGE LB | |
| Last Updated: 04/30/2022 | |
| Draft Year: 2022 | |
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (92%*) | |
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 04/12/2001 | |
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| NFL Combine Results |
| Overall Rating: | 87.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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81% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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71% |
| Pass Rush: |
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64% |
| Run Defense: |
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56% |
| Coverage: |
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82% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Mid
Overall Rank:
#44
Position rank:
#4
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| College Games: 34 College Snaps: 1322 | ||
ESPN RATING: 86/100
College Combine Results
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OVR Rank:
#2
Pos Rank:
#2
State Rank:
#1
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
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Drafted: ROUND: 4 - Pick Number: 120 (CAR)
Draft Profile: Bio
Brandon Smith was a high school star logging 165 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles in his senior season.As a result of that standout year he was a five-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 1 inside linebacker in the entire 2019 recruiting class.
Smith didn't play a lot in his freshman year and was the backup SAM linebacker but played a more significant as a sophomore when he was handed the starting role - and didn't disappoint. His contribution was more impressive than his stats suggested (37 tackles and 2 sacks) which led him to being considered as one of the nation's top LB prospects.
The 2021 season is proving to be the most dominating yet for Smith who is continuing to grow into the position both figuratively and literally (he's put on more muscle in the weight room and made Bruce Feldman's Freak list!). He's logged 61 tackles, a forced fumble, and 2 sacks (as of Nov 11 2021).
Scouting Report: Strengths
- A dominating athlete who tests off the charts - at 240lbs he's reportedly run a hand-timed 4.38 (although we consider our 4.40 a more reliable report)
- Made Bruce Feldman's Freaks list at #32 -- "Smith’s explosiveness is in line with many of the recent Penn State standouts. He broad jumps 10-5 and verticals 36 inches. His 4.25 shuttle time also is very strong, as is his 335-pound clean."
- Tougher between the tackles than many expect. Ideally, an 4-3 outside linebacker but fluid and quick enough to drop into zone and covers enough ground to be Tampa-2 "MIKE" and knows where the markers are.
- Does a nice job locating the ball and sticking with the play while working off blocks. Physical very powerful finisher.
- Very versatile has played all spots as LB and can happily rush the passer, he covers well and solid in the run game
- Very explosive with a nice first step - probably could go man on man with wideouts in a push
- Overpowers weaker lineman with supreme strength for his size
- Flashes strength to punch or stiff-arm to get off blocks. Stays with plays downfield, often making tackles even after being hit by multiple linemen.
- A really good student, a high character guy with a great work ethic
- Great in coverage can run with tight ends and blanket them down the field
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Given Smith's sky-high high potential he hasn't ever really dominated as we would have hoped
- Builds to top speed quickly but must take the right line to beat backs to the edge.
- Misses too many tackles
- Still quite raw as a run defender and must improve his overall technique
- Not always good in space and needs to improve his positional sense. Too many times he seems to be patrolling the empty areas of the field
- Has had a few unnecessary personal foul penalties - which is a surprise considering his disciplined nature
Scouting Report: Summary
Brandon Smith is an amazing athlete with perfect size, strength, speed for the position and has always seemed likely to become a star. Despite this he hasn't dominated in college quite to the extent we would have hoped and we have never given him an excellent grade as either a tackler or a run defender with his best rating coming in pass defense.Smith will likely be over-drafted - possibly as high as the middle of the first round due to his sky-high potential, but we view him as a late first early second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft based on his college game tape.
Brandon Smith percentiles vs other Linebackers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Brandon Smith (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
94.9
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
13.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.