2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Nolan Smith

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Nolan Smith, 6-2/238 Defensive End Georgia

Nolan Smith Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous pass rusher

Explosive off the snap

Excellent first-step quickness

Hard charger upfield

Tough

Plays hard

Good motor

Will use his active hands to keep blockers away from him

Has some functional power

Good move to the inside

Good football character

Willing run defender

Run-and-chase run defender

Has a burst to close when running free

Has some experience in pass coverage in the flat

Weaknesses:

Lacks size

Lacks height

Can have issues getting of blocks

Not a good fit in a 4-3 defense

Too undersized for DE

Limited as an OLB

Summary: Smith was a star recruit coming out of high school, and he became a tough defender for a Georgia defense that carried the program to back-to-back National Championships. While playing in a heavy rotation in 2020, he recorded 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Smith then had his best season for the Bulldogs in 2021, picking up 55 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception and three forced fumbles. In 2022, Smith dealt with injuries, recording 18 tackles, three sacks and a pass batted over his eight-game season. At the end of October, Smith went out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Smith helped himself at the 2023 NFL Scouting Coming with an electric performance in which he blazed a shocking 4.39-second time in the 40-yard dash.

As a pass rusher, Smith has a serious burst off the ball to work upfield and a first-step that routinely makes him the first player out of his stance from either line. With his speed and athleticism, Smith is dangerous to fly around the corner and get quick pressure on the quarterback. Smith flashes some speed to power, getting offensive tackles on their heels and then using a strong chop to keep them from getting a hold of him. However, Smith lacks size and can have issues getting off blocks. He never had a season of good production at Georgia, and his lack of length and weight could be a bigger problem in the NFL.



Smith is a tough run defender considering he weighs less than 240 pounds. He flashes the ability to get off blocks and flow to the ball-carrier. With good vision and diagnosis skills, Smith reads plays well and then shows a burst to close ground in a hurry. In the NFL, Smith will need to get better at defending downhill runs coming straight at him. However, his lack of length and weight is always going to be problematic versus tackles who have a 60- to 100-pound advantage over him.

Smith lacks the height and length to be a three-down starter at defensive end in the NFL. That limits him as a run defender and could make him more of a designated pass rusher as a pro. For the next level, Smith’s best fit could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He lacks the size and length to be a 4-3 defensive end on an every-down basis. For a 4-3, he would have to move to Sam – strongside – outside linebacker and rush as a defensive end in the sub package. In the NFL, Smith might settle into a role as a sub-package designated pass-rusher.

In the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith has the potential to go as high as the middle of the first round. He should not go lower than early in Round 2.



Player Comparison: Haason Reddick. Smith compared well with Reddick as an edge rusher. Reddick (6-1, 240) and Smith are almost identical in size and possess explosive speed off the edge. They both have built-up strength in their frames, but they always have to be used specifically and limited to certain roles because they lack size, length and weight. Reddick was a first-round pick in 2017, and Smith could go in the first round this year during the 2023 NFL Draft.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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