Packers Will Host Big-Time Deep Threat for Predraft Visit

Anthony Smith, who put himself on the NFL map with two strong seasons at East Carolina, will have a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to Tom Silverstein of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Smith spent his first four seasons at North Carolina State, where he never caught more than five passes. In two seasons at East Carolina, though, he caught 42 passes for 805 yards (19.2 average) and six touchdowns in 2024 and 64 passes for 1,053 yards (16.5 average) and seven interceptions in 2025.

The yards-per-catch numbers for his career are impressive and are backed up by the physical skill-set. At 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.40 seconds and posted a Relative Athletic Score of 9.20.

“They think that I got a great skill-set,” he said at pro day. “As Pirate Nation knows, my skill-set is speed. So, they love that about me. That’s kind of why I wanted to come out here and showcase that I can run some routes, but I think I put on a good performance.”

He wanted to showcase more than his speed, though, to the scouts.

“I just wanted to prove I could do it all,” he said. “I’m not just like a deep ball guy. That’s something that’s always been on my mind. My mental is making sure everybody knows that, yeah, I can run deep, but that’s not the only thing I can do. I can catch the ball. I can run across the middle. I can get out my cuts.”

Smith is expected to be a late-round pick or undrafted free agent. The Packers have a long-term need at the position, with only Matthew Golden and Savion Williams under contract beyond the 2026 season.

At pro day, he said special teams would be the key during his first season.

“Whether that’s special teams, whether that’s X, Z, slot, quarterback, running back, it don’t matter to me, bro,” he said. “Wherever they need me at, I’m there. I just want to get to that next level.”

Smith’s speed has been evident for years. At Huntington (Md.) High School, he set the state indoor record in the 55 and 300 meters. Outdoor, he finished second in the state in the 200 and third in the high jump.

“You can’t teach speed,” Smith told Pirate Pulse before the 2025 season. “And that’s what this offense is about (is) shots downfield, big plays. That’s my game.”

“It’s all about the details,” he added. “Depth on my routes. Looking the ball all the way in. Blocking on run plays. Chasing the ball downfield. Stuff most people don’t notice. That’s what’s going to take me to the next level.”

He closed his career by catching four passes for 156 yards, including touchdowns of 47 and 72 yards, in the bowl game against Pittsburgh. For his efforts, he was named to The AP’s All-Bowl Team.

Earlier in the season, he caught 11 passes for 136 yards against East Carolina.

"He's just a complete receiver, for sure,” quarterback Keith Houser said. “He can hit the underneath stuff, he can hit the shot plays, he can make plays with the ball in his hands. He's an all-around great receiver.”

There are 150 FBS-level receivers in the draft class who were targeted at least 40 times. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith ranked 13th with an average target distance of 15.1 yards and 15th with 16.5 yards per reception.

He was tied for seventh in the draft class with 11 receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He was fifth with 44.2 yards per catch and tied for seventh with five touchdowns on those deep shots. Those numbers would have been much better if not for four drops on those long passes.

He was not used on returns.

Smith’s brother, Evan Powell, is a defensive lineman at East Carolina.

Packers Predraft Visits

East Carolina Pirates receiver Anthony Smith (17) makes a touchdown catch against Army in 2024. | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

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