Safety

Notre Dame

6-2 213

Draft board overall prospect rank: #38

Draft board safety rank: #2

Overall rating: 79 (2^nd round)

40 time: 4.56

Games watched: Notre Dame/Michigan, Notre Dame/Wake Forest

Positives

·         Smart, fundamental player

·         Great leader

·         Vocal captain of the defense

·         Fundamental tackler who rarely misses a tackle

·         Gritty tough player

·         Good size (6-2 213)

·         Takes great routes to the ball

·         Great instincts

·         Hard hitter

·         Fast in pursuit

·         High motor

·         Relentless

·         Acts as a 4^th linebacker in the box

·         Great field vision

·         Reads quarterback’s eyes well

·         Underrated athleticism

·         Good technique in coverage

·         Makes plays on the ball (17 deflections and 7 interceptions in last 2 seasons)

·         4 year starter with good tackle totals (57, 69, 90, 91)

·         Played both safety and linebacker

Negatives

·         Plays mostly in the box

·         Inexperienced in coverage

·         Didn’t look as athletic on tape as did at The Combine

·         Stiff hips

·         No interceptions as a senior

·         Can’t be left on an island in coverage

·         Only a strong safety

Comparison: Eric Weddle

Harrison Smith is an undervalued safety prospect who could get drafted in the early 2^nd round in a weak safety class. He’s not the athlete that Mark Barron, who will go in the first round, is, but he’s going to be a solid to above average safety at the next level. He’s a fundamentally strong player with all the intangibles and a lot of good tape.

At Notre Dame he played mostly in the box, but he’s in his a box player. When asked to cover, he generally did a good job. He’s a bit stiff in coverage and can’t be left on an island, but he showed impressive athleticism at The Combine, though that doesn’t always show up on tape. He’s also very inexperienced in coverage, as this was something he wasn’t asked to do much at Notre Dame, but he’s also got upside in that facet of the game.

As a box player, he rarely misses a tackle and takes great routes to the ball. He’s a hard hitter and a fundamental tackler that really looks like an extra linebacker there at times. He’s an experienced 4 year starter with 57, 69, 90, 91 tackles in his 4 seasons. He’s also got good size at 6-2 213. He’s a high motor player and a vocal leader on the football field.

As a player, I compare him to the Chargers’ Eric Weddle. Weddle came into the league with little fanfare and spent the first few years of his career as an underrated, overlooked player because he never recorded a lot of interceptions. However, he was an above average safety who was strong against the run and not awful in coverage. He also improved as a starter in each season and was a high character leader on San Diego’s defense.

Last offseason he got a well deserved large contract and he responded with 7 interceptions after just 6 in his first 4 seasons, though that’s not a strength of his game. Smith had 7 interceptions in 2010, but didn’t have a single in 2011, though he deflected 10 passes that year. He has underrated ball skills, but that’s not really a strength of his game.