Scouting Notes
- Elite uber-athlete.
- Dropped into coverage a lot, displaying athleticism.
- Nimble, agile, and lightning quick.
- Uses shoulder moves, explosiveness and agility to get all his pass-rush wins.
- Plays angry, and is impossible to stop with momentum.
- Near non-existent pass-rush hand-fighting arsenal.
- No production or success against high-end talent.
- Poor finisher even when he gets there.
Short Summary
Nolan Smith is one of the most enticing prospects in this draft. He is a model team leader and is mentally one of the best locker-room guys you could find. He is explosive, agile, and a DAWG, and therefore he is a menace when he is at his best.
At the same time, he is exceptionally raw. Most technical aspects of his game are flawed, and he has plenty of room to develop. Aside from that, he is also slightly undersized.
It’s hard to bet against the truly elite blue-chip traits that Nolan Smith possesses, and I don’t think anyone should. Still, I feel the concerns are too serious to have him as the top prospect he seemingly deserves to be.
Scouting Card Key
- Age refers to the age of the player come draft night, rounded to the nearest half-age.
- Percentage numbers in the Player Info and Combine Stats sections – This refers to the percentile that number belongs to among all players at his position, going back nearly a decade.
- GP – Games Played
- TFLs – Tackles for Loss
- FF – Forced Fumbles
- PR Grade – Pass Rush Grade.
- PRS – Pressures.
- Missed Tackles – Missed tackle rate. Percentiles of these stats are inverse; the higher the number, the lower the percentile. Naturally, players with more playing time will rack up higher numbers, even in the rate category.
- IDL Snap% – Percentage of snaps played on the defensive interior (between the tackles).
- EDGE Snap% – Percentage of snaps played on the defensive edge (over or outside the tackle).
- Reaction – Reactionary speed.
Credit
Advanced stats – pff.com
Scouting card template / idea – Jordan Pun @Texans_Thoughts
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