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Tyreke Smith NFL Draft Profile
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Tyreke Smith Scouting ReportAs a physical specimen, Smith is extremely impressive. The 6’3″, 260-pound pass rusher is exceptionally athletic. He possesses delightful change of direction ability, remarkable lateral agility, and excellent play speed. The Ohio State EDGE can often combine these attributes to breeze past opposing offensive linemen with what looks to be relative ease. Smith converts speed to power exceptionally well. Although he has a few weapons in his pass-rush armory, he leans on his ability to overwhelm tackles with his strength. Smith appears to have respectable length for the position, which again helps from a pass-rush perspective. The Buckeye also demonstrates the ability to be disruptive as a pass rusher from both sides of the formation. With athleticism, strength, and length, Smith can be a potent pass-rush force around the outside track and attacking from the interior. Furthermore, his athleticism enables him to efficiently drop back from the line of scrimmage and into coverage. He can backpedal with some impressive fluidity. That element of versatility will prove valuable at the next level. |
Areas for ImprovementSmith will need to display more impressive football intelligence this fall to elevate his 2022 NFL Draft stock. He had some issues anticipating the snap in the games studied, with the bout against Clemson a glaring example. Although he improved as the game progressed, he was routinely the last defensive lineman to react to the snap. Smith will need to turn pressure into production better this coming season. Although sometimes a by-product of the offensive scheme faced, Smith needs to ensure he works on timing and his pass-rush plan to significantly impact the opposition next fall. He can achieve this with more consistent use of the weapons that are in his toolbox.
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Tyreke Smith Career at SchoolSmith embarked on a dominant senior season for Cleveland Heights, earning the Cleveland.com Defensive Player of the Year Award. Flashing his incredible athletic ability, he amassed 70 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks while snagging 8 receptions for 192 yards and 4 touchdowns. An accomplished all-around athlete, Smith was the leading scorer for the basketball team. Smith was faced with a difficult decision. Turning his back on his commitment to Penn State, he headed across the Big Ten to the Buckeyes. The newest Ohio State DE pointed to the program’s heritage at the position when announcing his commitment. Despite Smith’s impressive high school performances, one of the alluring aspects of the Buckeyes ensured he had a slow start to his career. Entering an Ohio State DE rotation stacked with talent, he had little opportunity to make a significant impact. As a true freshman in 2018, Smith saw action in 11 games. Still, he logged just 9 tackles that included a career-high 3 tackles against Tulane. Smith’s sophomore season was beset with injuries. A groin issue meant he missed the season opener and several more games in September. Despite the injury setback, the Ohio State DE steadily began to assert himself on the Buckeyes’ opponents. He secured his first sack against Cincinnati while registering multiple more against Maryland. The sophomore defensive lineman finished the season with 12 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and a pair of pass breakups.
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Tyreke Smith NFL Draft Player ProfileSmith may not be a highly coveted NFL Draft prospect right now, but he’s only a few years removed from being a highly sought-after high school recruit. A four-star defensive end by 247 Sports, Smith was the fourth-ranked player at the position in the 2018 class while featuring in the top-50 prospects that year. As a result, he was in high demand, entertaining over 35 offers following an initial bid from the in-state Ohio Bobcats. In recent years, Ohio State has become a pipeline for sending defensive ends to the NFL. Can Tyreke Smith add his name to an illustrious list in the 2022 NFL Draft? Although he isn’t a name currently grouped with the top players at the position ahead of the upcoming college football season, Smith’s scouting report reveals that the Ohio State DE has the athletic potential to be a coveted prospect next April.
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