2022 NFL Draft Profiles: Does Tulsa OL Tyler Smith Make Sense For the Jaguars?

Would Tulsa's Tyler Smith fit into the Jaguars' long-term plans on the offensive line?

Author:
John Shipley
Publish date:
Apr 15, 2022 4:45 PM EDT

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith, who has taken a top-30 visit with the Jaguars.

Overview

One of this year's top non-Power Five conference prospects, Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith has skyrocketed up media boards throughout the draft process. He entered the college football scene as a three-star recruit by 247Sports first, though, with the site ranking him the No. 133 offensive guard in the country, the No. 335 prospect in Texas and the No. 2,417 prospect nationally. Smith, who began playing offensive line as a junior in 2017, received four offers out of high school, ultimately picking Tulsa over Navy, Houston and New Mexico.

Smith appeared in four games and started two as a freshman in 2019 before earning the starting left tackle job as a redshirt freshman in 2020. In his second year at Tulsa, Smith started nine games at left tackle and being named a Freshman All-American and First Team All-AAC.

Smith returned to his role as a starting left tackle in 2021, starting 12 games for Tulsa on the blindside while earning Second Team All-AAC honors. Smith earned an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 5.02 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds. He also recorded a 27.5-inch vertical jump, a 105-inch broad jump, a 4.65 short shuttle, and a 7.78 three-cone time. He will enter the draft as one of the youngest players in the class.

What Tyler Smith Does Well

In terms of pure finishing ability, there are few offensive linemen in the 2022 class who can compare to Smith. He is truly a bully left tackle as opposed to a finesse tackle who wins with quickness and technique. Instead, his game is centered around his top-tier strength, explosion and violence.

Smith has the length, frame, strength and agility to stick at tackle, flashing the ability to smoothly mirror edge rushers in space at Tulsa. He has a quick first step that allows him to cut off the corner quickly from wide rushers, while showing the ability to redirect the momentum of lighter speed rushers due to his grip strength and physical play-style.

In pass protection, Smith has shown the ability to work on an island simply out of his determination to finish the block. It doesn't always look pretty, but he plays with a relentless energy that can be confounding for rushers and even chaotic for himself at times. He has shown he can carry his weight and frame well and can cut off rushers from various angles as well as quickly shift his weight back inside to counter. He also has an impressive anchor and flexibility, frequently stopping speed-to-power rushers in their tracks.

As a run-blocker, Smith plays with the violent temperament you want to see out of a lineman and has the upper body strength to frequently force defenders off balance once he makes contact. He has strong hands and, when his placement and leverage are correct, has shown the ability to move defenders out of gaps on both single and double blocks.

Smith also has a clear understanding of working angles when it comes to second-level blocking. He does a good job of not overshooting his targets, instead using body-positioning and leverage to wall off linebackers from the play.

How Tyler Smith Would Fit With the Jaguars

The Jaguars are a team with their offensive line in flux, ever after placing the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and signing right guard Brandon Scherff to a significant three-year contract. The Jaguars still have a question at left tackle past 2022 since there is not yet a deal reached with Robinson, while the team also has an open hole at left guard.

Smith is a project pick who likely needs more seasoning before he sees an NFL field at left tackle, so his developmental timeline would actually be on par with where Jacksonville is at in regards to left tackle. But this is only the case if the Jaguars don't extend Robinson before July 15, and all impressions from the Jaguars are they want to extend Robinson.

With this all in mind, Smith's best role for the Jaguars in 2022 would either be as the backup left tackle or the starting left guard. He hasn't played guard since high school and while a move inside fits his skill set, it is still a projection. Plus, many of the technical issues he faces at tackle would still be prevalent inside at guard.

Ultimately, Smith is a high-ceiling option at tackle and potentially guard. The Jaguars need a guard more than a tackle today, but they need a ready-made one. If the Jaguars are going for pure potential, it makes more sense to bet on Smith as a tackle.

Verdict

Smith has all of the potential in the world and can be a legitimate option at either left guard or left tackle. The issue is there are likely few offensive linemen who will go in the draft's first few rounds who need as much coaching and technical rebuilding as Smith.

Smith has among the highest ceilings of any offensive lineman in the class, is scheme versatile and has the traits to play inside or outside, but he isn't a player who is exactly ready to make an impact now. If he is sitting at No. 33, though, his potential could win out. That would be too rich for me, but I would understand why a team like the Jaguars would make the pick.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.