Why Undrafted?: Brett Smith, QB, Wyoming
By Charlie Campbell, @draftcampbell
The 2014 NFL Draft featured a quarterback class that lacked an elite prospect. There were no Andrew Lucks, Cam Newtons or Matthew Staffords this year; every quarterback prospect in 2014 had clear flaws. Only one quarterback was selected in the top 20 as Jacksonville took Blake Bortles with the third-overall pick, and that was a reach if you ask other teams in the league. Many other quarterback prospects were drafted even though they have a lot of weaknesses. That group included Logan Thomas, Aaron Murray, A.J. McCarron, Zach Mettenberger and Tajh Boyd. Thus it was surprising that teams didn’t afford the same leeway to Smith.
At Wyoming, Smith was a consistent producer of yards on the ground and through the air. He improved throughout his collegiate career while displaying good character. Smith (6-3, 206) has the skill set to be a dual-threat quarterback.
Smith went undrafted for a few reasons. One, the caliber of collegiate competition didn’t help him. Two, some teams felt his frame was too slight to hold up under the NFL pounding, especially for a mobile quarterback. Third, Smith has to improve his field vision for the next level. Those issues combined to cause him to fall to the free agent ranks.
Once there, Smith and his representatives signed with Tampa Bay. The athletic Smith fit Jeff Tedford’s offense well, but he was released recently. He has enough potential to find a home with another organization.
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