Matty's Big Board Prospect Countdown: 12!

Hey folks, the Super Bowl is behind us and it's time to focus on the next big event and that is the all powerful and mighty draft, which has the ability to take a team from the bottom of the barrel and turn them into a playoff caliber team (ex. Dolphins and Falcons). What I plan on doing is twice a week until draft weekend, I'll be counting down my top 25 prospects, discuss their strengths, weaknesses, overall impact in the NFL and potential landing spot. So, without further delay, I bring you the player who ranked number 12...

12. Sean Smith, CB/S Utah Utes

2008 Season Stats:
45 tackles, 5 INTs and 9 Pass Def.

Career Stats:
79 tackles, 9 INTs and 16 Pass Def.

Personal Stats:
6'3" 214 lbs. JR

Strengths:

Sean Smith is an athletic freak, he has a great build both height and size wise and he carries it very well. He has very long arms and big hands and amazing ball skills that help him in making interceptions and swatting away passes, he has great straight line speed and agility. He's a tough player who won't shy away from contact as he can shed blockers and make a tackle on a running back trying to gain the corner. He is physical at the line of scrimmage and has great recognition skills in the open field and reacts well to the ball when it is thrown. He is supremely confident in his abilities and he has a ton of potential.

Weaknesses:

He's not quite a corner, he's not quite a safety, he's a football player with a little combination of the two aforementioned positions. He has tight hips and lacks the fluidity that you would expect from an athletic shut down corners. He can get beat over the top as he doesn't have that second gear to close in on a receiver once he is beaten. He tends to get over aggressive and only himself to get tricked or beaten because his instincts aren't as highly tuned as they could be and he is very raw with limited experience.

Overall:

I think Sean Smith projects as a cornerback in the NFL for a team that employs a cover two or zone scheme and allows him some help over the top. I think a team like the Colts, Steelers, Bucs, Vikings and various teams of the like would find his skills incredibly useful as he can be physical against a team's number one and make big plays against the pass but his raw ability won't hinder them as much when he has safety help over top. I think that is where he best projects and when he gets coached up some more and he gets into an NFL training program to loosen his hips he could eventually become a force and even though I am incredibly high on Smith, I doubt he goes top 15 come draft day, but as a prospect I think he is incredible and will give a team a lot of versatility and skill.



Projected NFL Destination:

With the 14th selection in the NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints select...









There you have it folks, be sure to tune in next week for Prospects #11 and #10!