Devonta Smith has spent time quizzing former University of Alabama teammates Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy about what to expect from the NFL and the draft process, so he had to know the weight questions were coming.
And Smith did a great job of getting away from the first weight question Monday by simply saying he’s weighing what he weighed during Alabama’s 2020 season.
“Same thing I’ve been weighing,” he said.
That means he’s weighing what he weighed as he won the Heisman Trophy last year.
He’s weighing what he weighed as he lit up defenses to the tune of 1,856 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.
But he’s also weighing what he weighed when NFL personnel people and draft gurus wondered if that was enough to succeed in the professional game.
Eventually someone pinned Smith down and he said he’s weighing 170 pounds.
So two things:
Either NFL teams are comfortable with Smith making plays as a pro at the same weight as what he carried at Alabama.
Or they aren’t.
Smith hasn’t used the past two months to add to his sturdy-but-thin build. And it’s unclear how eager he is to do that because, apparently, he doesn’t really see it as an issue.
“I feel like it’s not going to be no different than college,” Smith said. “I played against some of the best in college. I played in the SEC. I feel like it’s the toughest conference there is. I know a lot of people that are bigger than me have more problems than me, so I’m not worried about it at all.”
This has the possibility of worrying some team because even though Smith will soon be running zig-zags around defenses for a living he seems to be a stay-the-course kind of person off the field.
For example, just ask him how he’s going to get off the line of scrimmage against press coverage applied by professional cornerbacks.
“Just continue to do the things I’ve been doing — trusting my training, working my technique and things like that,” Smith said. “It’s been working for me this long so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Me? I’m good.
DeVonta Smith made plays in high school. Made plays at the highest level in the Southeastern Conference. And he made more plays in 2020 than anyone else at Alabama, a team that collects more playmakers than anyone else in the country.
So it’s a good bet Smith’s going to make plays in the NFL whether he’s at 170 or 180 pounds, which would probably make some NFL personnel people feel better.
But the question will linger. NFL teams have been asking Smith about it on their Zoom meetings with him. And Tuesday Smith will be weighed and measured as part of the Alabama Pro Day — the only part of the day Smith will be participating in.
That means the biggest part of Smith’s predraft preparation will be those Zoom calls with teams. The Dolphins are expected to have Smith among their meetings, although they already met him at the Senior Bowl in January when Smith attended but didn’t play because of a finger injury.
“It was a good experience just to see how the NFL is, somewhat, and how the playbooks are and just kind of get a feeling what the difference is between the NFL and college,” Smith said of his time with Miami coach Brian Flores and his assistants.
Everyone understands the Dolphins would have an opportunity to select Smith with their No. 3 overall draft pick. They might also pick LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase or Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
Or Miami might trade down for the benefit of picking up an extra pick.
And, again, in a trade-down scenario Smith might continue to be in the picture whereas Chase or Pitts might not be.
So the Dolphins have to be really comfortable with Smith as a possible pick. And, aside from his Alabama tape and the word of his Alabama coaches, the Zoom meeting is going to be the way they do it.
Those meetings, by the way, don’t sound like much of an issue for Smith. He apparently likes them because they’re in his wheelhouse.
“The meetings have been good, I mean, just getting in and talking football and getting to know some of the coaches,” Smith said. “Talking football is the best thing about it.
“It’s not nothing you have to go in and worry about. You just go in and be yourself. At the end of the day, you’re talking football, so it just feels like another day here in the meeting room at Alabama.”
This sounds like the type of player the Dolphins would want. So does this when Smith discusses what position — flanker, slot, etc ... — he would feel most comfortable playing:
“Really, I feel like I’m a receiver that can play anywhere,” he said. “So just put me anywhere and [I’ll] buy into whatever the team needs me to do.”
Smith has a relationship with all his current and former Alabama teammates and that includes Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The two have talked, but it’s apparent their discussions are deeper than just football.
“We talk, it’s more about football in general how the process has been and things like that, life things,” Smith said. “But we don’t too much just sit up there and just talk about us getting together ‘cause outside of that it’s bigger than football with us. It’s more about life things.”
Wherever Smith ends up, he’s bringing a quiet strength of personality with him.
He’s not attention seeking. But he’s not shy.
He’s, well, confident. Very confident.
“The journey’s not over so I’m going to continue to write my story and keep pushing through everything I’ve been through knowing that there’s a lot of people that say I’m not supposed to be here — keep pushing knowing that if I wasn’t supposed to be here, I wouldn’t be here,” Smith said.
“I’ve got the mentality that I just won’t be stopped.
“I didn’t get here by being cocky but being myself. Just knowing that things are not over, this is only the beginning. I still have a long way to go.”
