One of the most dominant corners in college football over the last two years, South Carolina’s Cam Smith hopes to keep up that domination as he transitions to the next level by entering the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Gamecocks cover man:
Vitals
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 pounds
Class: Junior
40-Yard Dash: 4.43 seconds
Strengths
Over the last two years, Smith has been a top corner for South Carolina, amping up their pass defense by being reliable in both man and zone coverage. In 2021 he surrendered an impressive passer rating of 36.5 with nine pass breakups and three interceptions. His production dipped the following year but his production was still top-notch, giving up a passer rating of 71.3 when targeted and coming away with just one interception.
Smith’s most obvious strengths are his length, burst, and athleticism, which jump off the film at you. He has an excellent ability to sit on routes before jumping a receiver on comebacks and in routes. He excels in flipping his hips and running upfield with the receiver, maintaining eye contact with the quarterback and reading how the play evolves. He closes on throws with haste, he reads the play opens up his hips and bursts through the route to make a play on the ball.
He excels in tackling as well, punishing anyone with a football who enters his area with excellent closing speed. He’s an aggressive corner in all phases of defense. He’s sticky in press, using his length and strength to jam and throw them off their route, using the sideline well as an outside base and extra defender. He is a willing run defender and brings excellent physicality to the box.
Weaknesses
While he is an aggressive corner, that aggression can sometimes hurt him in pass defense, being overly eager to attack the football and can get him burnt on double moves and comebacks where he bites early on the route. He will need to ease up on biting and become better with his instincts, which with good coaching and development should be solvable issues. You would rather teach a corner to ease up than have to teach them aggression.
He is also a bit lean in his frame, and while that has been okay for him in college, his physical playstyle may demand a more filled-out frame at the next level when he encounters stronger and more well-built receivers at the line. He will get with trainers and work that out in the future, it should only help his game out with extra bulk.
Projection
Cam Smith is a reliable, physical, and aggressive corner who has had elite production over the last two years. He will likely be expected to be a starter on the outside right away and should fill in nicely, and while he will have some early bumps along the way learning to adjust to the game and reel in his aggression, he should adjust well with time.
Defensive coaches will be eager to get him into the weight room and on the field to develop his frame and game and potentially develop him into a No. 1 corner. He should be one of the first few corners taken off the board.
Projection: Top 50
