Nov. 15--Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
Harrison Smith is third on the Vikings with 49 tackles and has a team-high three interceptions -- including an 80-yard touchdown return against the Rams -- one sack and one forced fumble. Smith, a 6-foot-2, 214-pound first-round pick in 2012, returned a Jay Cutler interception 56 yards for a touchdown as a rookie at the Metrodome.
"He has size and he's thick, and that allows him to play in the run front," the scout said. "But he also has the athletic ability and the hip flexibility to play in the deep half and the deep middle of the field. How they use him is why he is having such a successful year with (coach Mike) Zimmer.
"They move him all over the place. He will come down and blitz. He will drop in coverage off the line of scrimmage, he will play man coverage vs. the tight end and he will drop in the deep half. He's all over the field, and now that he is with the right coach you are seeing how much versatility he has.
"He was a good player in Leslie Frazier's (Cover-2) but now you are seeing what he's like with a more aggressive play-caller. Smith can make more plays now that he's not just lined up in the deep half. You can tell the arrow is pointing up for him. He has a better feel for the game."
