*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Kansas Safety Fish Smithson on NFL Radar
Updated July 5, 2016By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
When a team goes winless, one wouldn’t expect there is an intriguing NFL talent whom pro evaluators are excited to see. However, that is the case with Kansas, as sources have said that safety Fish Smithson is a player who really impressed them. One general manager told WalterFootball.com that in studying pre-draft tape, Smithson really jumped out at them, and they’re excited to watch him this fall.
On an 0-12 team, Smithson led the nation with 7.9 solo tackles per game with 87 solo tackles on the season. He totaled 111 stops with two interceptions, five passes broken up, and one forced fumble. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection; not that that carries any weight with NFL evaluators, but on a winless team, it isn’t easy to get post-season honors.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Smithson could help a quality safety class with other early-round prospects like LSU’s Jamal Adams, Florida’s Marcus Maye, Alabama’s Eddie Jackson, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers, and more. Smithson isn’t on as good of a team and he won’t get the attention of those players, but that doesn’t matter to NFL scouts who are excited to Smithson this fall.
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