Raiders Fifth Round Pick S Chris Smith, Georgia

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off the 2023 NFL Draft with an exceptional haul of young players to help the Silver and Black on their road back to success.

One of those players is S Christopher Smith, who they selected in the fifth round. You can watch his press conference below and read the transcript:

Las Vegas Raiders fifth-round pick (No. 170 overall) – Safety Christopher Smith II

Q: You're obviously not the biggest safety in this draft, but you are considered by many to be the most violent. Can you describe how you look at your style of play?

Smith II: "Exactly like you said, just playing tough and violent. Like you said, I'm not the biggest in terms of measurables, but I like to make up for that with how I attack the game. I try to attack every play with the same amount of intensity."

Q: What does it mean to you to have played the star position for Georgia?

Smith II: "It means a lot, especially to my game. Like I said, playing multiple positions coming up through high school and college, it just adds to my versatility in terms of how I am as a player. I think that adds a lot of value towards me, for my team."

Q: You were a big play guy at Georgia, had an interception in the national championship game against Alabama. I think you scored the only touchdown against Clemson. I wonder when you look back on your college career, what's the biggest play that comes to your mind? What's the best memory from a personal standpoint?

Smith II: "I'll probably say my interception in the Natty. Obviously, Clemson was a very big play. I scored the only touchdown of that game. But as a kid, you always dream of getting an interception in a game as big as the National Championship. And for me to be able to accomplish that, man, it was really a dream come true."

Q: Obviously, you've won a lot of football games. Can you just go into detail about what it truly takes to be a winner? What are the sacrifices you have to make to be as successful as you were at Georgia? Do you think that's something that will translate over to the next level?

Smith II: "Definitely. First and foremost, I think the main component to continuing to be a winner is consistency. And that was something that was really built into us at University of Georgia. Also, not being complacent once you feel like you've made it, just stopping and not continuing to keep going. That's a recipe for disaster. So, not being complacent and just staying consistent, I would say those are the two main components to winning. That's something I learned very early on at University of Georgia, and I think it translates well to the NFL."

Q: Did you have an idea that the Raiders were in on you? Can you talk about your interactions with them and just how that whole process went down?

Smith II: "I really didn't. We had a few a few talks in the pre-draft process, but I had no idea that the Raiders were going to take me. But I'm forever thankful that they took a chance on me, and I can't wait to get to work."

Q: Was there anybody throughout your career in football that you modeled your game after?

Smith II: "I mean, there's a lot of guys that I watch. Jalen Ramsey, Tyrann Mathieu, Derwin James, Eddie Jackson. There are plenty of guys I've watched and tried to add every little piece of their game into mine to make me the best player possible.'

Q: Tyree Wilson, who was the No. 1 pick for the Raiders, impressed them by the fact that he talked about all the areas he needs to improve upon. I'm curious, when you think about your game taking to the next level, what are some areas that you want to improve on?

Smith II: "I feel I can improve on all areas. Taking this next step to the NFL is just a whole different ballgame. You're going up against grown men now and it's going to take a betterment in each part of my game to continue to be the best player I could be."

Round 1 No. 7 overall pick: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech

Round 2 No. 35 overall pick: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Round 3 No. 70 overall: Byron Young, DT, Alabama

Round 3 No. 100 overall: Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati

Round 4 No. 104 overall: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland

Round 4 No. 135 overall: Aidan O'Connell, QB, Purdue

Round 5 No. 170 overall: Christopher Smith II, S, Georgia

Round 6 No. 203 overall: Amari Burney, LB, Florida

Round 7 No. 231 overall: Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State

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