Weaknesses:
Summary: Tyron Smith is only 20 years old and has it all in front of him. He declared early for the 2011 NFL Draft, which raised some eyebrows. If draft projections hold it is the right move. Next year, he might have been in the same class as his teammate Matt Kalil, who is the starting left tackle for the Trojans.
It is still an issue with some skeptics who wonder why Smith was relegated to the right side, yet is such a highly regarded prospect. The answer is pretty simple – both guys are very talented and in the USC offense, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Smith probably would not start immediately in most systems, especially on the left side, but his development could be sped up if he lands on a team running a zone-blocking scheme which he worked in at USC.
Player Comparison: Charles Brown. Sometimes it is valid to compare two players who worked at the same position for the same college. The reason is that those schools often recruit similar athletes to fit what they do in terms of scheme. This is the case for these two who both have athleticism and had scouts wanting them to add weight. Tyron Smith did just that after the season, possibly learning from his former teammate Charles Brown, who wound up as the final pick of the second round. Both players move well laterally and are better at pass blocking than run blocking.
RELATED LINKS:
2011 NFL Mock Draft: Greg’s | Walt’s
2011 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2011 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
NFL Picks - Dec. 13
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
