Finding Broncos: Brandon Smith | LB

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-3.5

Weight: 250 pounds

Arms: 34-5/8 inches

Hands: 10-1/4 inches

Combine Results

40 Yard Dash: 4.52

Vertical Jump: 37.5 inches

Broad Jump: 128 inches

Stats

Pros

Smith has an impressive combination of height, weight, speed, and overall athleticism.
He has what it takes to be a utility pass rusher in the NFL.
He has great athleticism that can be used in multiple ways and provide a weapon for the defense.
His burst is outstanding, and he can gain ground quickly to catch up to the ball.
He has tremendous length and a good tackling technique to use that length.
He does well taking on blocks and uses all of his tools to direct blocks and eventually shed to make a play.
He has the athleticism to match up with tight ends or running backs down the seam.
He has the traits to play off-ball and on the edge.
Smith has plenty of power, and he isn't afraid to put a thump on his hits.
He can outrun blockers and many ball carriers to landmarks outside.
His sideline to sideline range and ability is insane.
He can change direction quickly and is pretty smooth doing so.

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Cons

Smith is the complete opposite of an instinctive linebacker.
His football IQ and awareness are lacking, which could severely limit his coverage in the NFL.
He does much better working downhill than backward.
When he is coming downhill to take on blockers, he needs refinement with his technique to take them on.
He has to speed up his ability to shed blocks as he can linger and even get stuck.
Some bigger blockers will completely control Smith against the run.
He has to be more consistent with his tackling technique and go for more body wraps.
His awareness is basically non-existent.
His angles, when in pursuit, need to improve for the NFL, where his athleticism won't make up for the issues.
Teams will have their work cut out no matter where they decide to play him in the NFL.
His ability to work in zone coverage is extremely limited with how poor his instincts and awareness are.
He has a bad habit of over pursuing, leaving a backside cut lane open on outside runs.

Overall

Brandon Smith is an athletic defender that has versatility with what he can bring to the NFL. He works best sideline to sideline, and his drops into coverage can be problematic unless he is a matchup in man. His lack of awareness and instincts often gets him and the defense into trouble.

NFL coaching staff's will have to do what they can to improve his instincts and awareness; otherwise, he is going to be limited in the NFL. They will also have to figure out the best spot to play Smith. While he has tools to work as an edge and off-ball, he also has glaring issues to be a full-time player at either position.

His best usage would be to keep him working as downhill or sideline to sideline player with him as an off-ball in running situations and work as an edge or a blitzer in obvious passing situations. Smith is the estimate to the saying athleticism doesn't mean coverage ability.

Fit with Denver

Smith isn't an excellent fit for the Broncos because he is pretty similar to Baron Browning, whom the Broncos are said to be used in the role that would be best suited for Smith. So, Smith clearly can be made to work, and it just creates some issues with personnel the Broncos already have.

It would be different if Browning were in the final year of his deal. However, Browning just finished his rookie season as a later third-round pick. The role doesn't need more than one player to fill it.

Outside of that, Smith could be viewed as a developmental off-ball linebacker option. Pairing him with Josey Jewell, who is such an instinctive linebacker, could be a move to make, but instincts are something that doesn't really grow. You either have the instincts or don't, and you find ways to overcome them.

Where Smith goes in the draft is hard to gauge because he is an athlete that coaches love, but he doesn't check some of the intangibles boxes that need to be checked for the linebacker position.

Round Grade: Early Third Round

Where he goes: Mid-to-Late Third Round

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