Devin Smith: the Human Torch

Direckshun · 03-29-2015, 04:03 AM

http://zonereads.com/?p=2702

The Human Torch: Devin Smith
by vixticator
Posted on March 22, 2015

If you haven’t watched any tape of Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, then you’re in for a treat. He’s preternaturally gifted when it comes to making catches deep down field. In fact, that’s essentially all he does. He only caught 33 passes as a senior, 12 of which were touchdowns, for an average of 28.2 yards per reception. These numbers are meaningless without context. That’s what the game tape is for, and thanks to Draft Breakdown I’ve been able to watch four of them (Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Cincinnati).

In the game against Michigan State, Smith makes two beautiful over-the-shoulder catches. On the first play, he starts off standing on the 35-yard line, runs more or less straight down the field, and makes a rather ridiculous reception around at the 20-yard line. I’ll leave the math to you. That’s a big chunk of yards. The most impressive aspect of this play isn’t the speed, but the way he locates the ball midair and plucks it with both hands over his shoulder at an awkward angle. Later in the game he makes this catch for a touchdown. Just another routine over-the-shoulder 45-yard reception. I feel bad for the Michigan State safeties there. That is a touchdown presnap as long as the ball is on target.

You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wisconsin fans might want to skip this next section.

Touchdown #1 is all about the adjustment to the ball. He locates it in the air when he turns his head, then he gets his body where it needs to be in order to make the catch. He also plays it like a basketball player boxing out his opponent to snare a rebound.
Touchdown #2 is similar to his touchdown in the Michigan State game. This time he gets one-on-one coverage from the slot against a safety. Lamb to the slaughter.
Touchdown #3 is a leaping two-handed grab. Smith’s location, location, location abilities are otherworldly. He didn’t drop a single deep bomb in any of the games I watched.

Alright, so he can catch deep bombs. Can we move on? If this is what you are asking, get the hell out of here. Two more. First, this play against Illinois. This guy Devin Smith sure can make deep over-the-shoulder touchdown catches. To prove he is, in fact, human, watch this play. He… almost didn’t catch it! Throwing the ball in the general direction of Smith and letting him do the rest is a foolproof plan I’m tellin’ ya.

He can do a bit other than run deep routes. Not a lot, mind you, but I have some evidence that he can. For instance, there’s this play where he finds the right spot to sit against zone coverage and runs in for a touchdown. Here he makes a catch over the middle on what appears to be a post route. On this play he just comes to a screeching halt. Even though the quarterback is looking the other way, you still need to try to get open if the play breaks down. And, at least to me, both this and this are poorly run routes.

In order to stay on the field (or become elite), Smith must get better at running short to intermediate routes. He will come in on multiple receiver packages and force the defense to respect his deep game, which opens up space for teammates. His deep game is special even among NFL players. He knows how to locate, and, more importantly, to adjust his body in order to make difficult catches with the ball flying 40+ yards. Over and over again.

If you’re going to be a one-trick pony as a rookie wide receiver, this is the best trick to have up your sleeve. Smith has excellent hands. In the four games I watched, he dropped one pass, and the degree of difficulty on his catches were very high indeed. At the end of the first round, I wouldn’t hesitate to send in his name if I needed some help outside. Are you telling me you don’t want to see Devin Smith catch bombs from Andrew Luck, or Russell Wilson, over the next five or more years? Please.

**The Franchise** · 03-29-2015, 10:40 PM

I'm hoping we can get him in the 2nd.

Coochie liquor · 03-30-2015, 05:59 AM

Would def like to have him in a Chiefs uni!!

DJ's left nut · 03-30-2015, 02:55 PM

My favorite choice in the 2nd round.

May not last to us, but he and Aguilar are my boys there and of the two, I favor Smith by just a hair.

He'd be a great fit in the X for us.

O.city · 03-30-2015, 09:56 PM

If they could trade down l, pluck up another 3rd, I'd take either agholor or smith late first

Urc Burry · 03-30-2015, 10:20 PM

I agree. I think the second should be the round we address WR. Unless a miracle happens and one of the top 3 slips to 18. That batch of wr's in the 2nd all have really good skill sets that would translate to our offense. if we can get one of Agholor, Dorsett, Lockett, or Smith I will be ecstatic

O.city · 03-31-2015, 08:21 AM

So the thing is, if they like smith or agholor that much, why not just grab them in the first round?

Nightfyre · 03-31-2015, 08:39 AM

Hopefully they like a bunch of other players more than Smith and Agholor so they can take whomever drops to them in the second rather than reaching in the first.

O.city · 03-31-2015, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Hopefully they like a bunch of other players more than Smith and Agholor so they can take whomever drops to them in the second rather than reaching in the first.

hopefully it would work out that way, but if they really like these two as much as I'd imagine they would for this offense, it would be tough to pass on them.

However, I wouldn't look past some of the top notch talent that will inevitably fall in the first for whatever reason.

saphojunkie · 03-31-2015, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

So the thing is, if they like smith or agholor that much, why not just grab them in the first round?

Because it's just a waste of resources. If you like that BMW that much, why not pay full sticker price?

Because I can get it for 30% cheaper by waiting a day, and then I can spend that money on a Harley Davidson. Otherwise, I get the same BMW but no motorcycle.

O.city · 03-31-2015, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

Because it's just a waste of resources. If you like that BMW that much, why not pay full sticker price?

Because I can get it for 30% cheaper by waiting a day, and then I can spend that money on a Harley Davidson. Otherwise, I get the same BMW but no motorcycle.

You can also muss out on the chance to buy the BMW and it could be gone.

Urc Burry · 03-31-2015, 11:54 AM

Saw this tweet and agree with it a lot

@NFLFilmStudy: Don’t worry about reaching. Being cute and waiting or trading down is why your team missed out on T.Y. Hilton and Jimmy Graham. Just take em

If you absolutely know he will be there in the next round then go ahead and wait. But if you are reaching by 10-15 picks, go ahead and make it

**The Franchise** · 03-31-2015, 11:58 AM

I would have no problem trading down and taking one at the bottom of the 1st round.

DJ's left nut · 03-31-2015, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urc Burry

Saw this tweet and agree with it a lot

@NFLFilmStudy: Don’t worry about reaching. Being cute and waiting or trading down is why your team missed out on T.Y. Hilton and Jimmy Graham. Just take em

If you absolutely know he will be there in the next round then go ahead and wait. But if you are reaching by 10-15 picks, go ahead and make it

It's also how Scott "I don't know about draft value" Pioli ended up taking Tyson Jackson at 3 overall.

It's a bad BAD practice. In a league where the difference between 11 wins and 5 wins is almost exclusively in the margins, you have to look for every single edge you can possibly get.

If you just forego that possibility by being risk averse rather than attempt to manipulate the draft to ensure the most possible amount of talent, you're going to substantially reduce your team's ceiling over any kind of appreciable time frame.

O.city · 03-31-2015, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It's also how Scott "I don't know about draft value" Pioli ended up taking Tyson Jackson at 3 overall.

It's a bad BAD practice. In a league where the difference between 11 wins and 5 wins is almost exclusively in the margins, you have to look for every single edge you can possibly get.

If you just forego that possibility by being risk averse rather than attempt to manipulate the draft to ensure the most possible amount of talent, you're going to substantially reduce your team's ceiling over any kind of appreciable time frame.

Depends how much of a difference maker or just how good you think a guy can be.

Reaching foe a guy isn't reaching if he fits your system how you want.

03-29-2015, 04:03 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4093447	Devin Smith: the Human Torch http://zonereads.com/?p=2702 The Human Torch: Devin Smith by vixticator Posted on March 22, 2015 If you haven’t watched any tape of Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, then you’re in for a treat. He’s preternaturally gifted when it comes to making catches deep down field. In fact, that’s essentially all he does. He only caught 33 passes as a senior, 12 of which were touchdowns, for an average of 28.2 yards per reception. These numbers are meaningless without context. That’s what the game tape is for, and thanks to Draft Breakdown I’ve been able to watch four of them (Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Cincinnati). In the game against Michigan State, Smith makes two beautiful over-the-shoulder catches. On the first play, he starts off standing on the 35-yard line, runs more or less straight down the field, and makes a rather ridiculous reception around at the 20-yard line. I’ll leave the math to you. That’s a big chunk of yards. The most impressive aspect of this play isn’t the speed, but the way he locates the ball midair and plucks it with both hands over his shoulder at an awkward angle. Later in the game he makes this catch for a touchdown. Just another routine over-the-shoulder 45-yard reception. I feel bad for the Michigan State safeties there. That is a touchdown presnap as long as the ball is on target. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wisconsin fans might want to skip this next section. Touchdown #1 is all about the adjustment to the ball. He locates it in the air when he turns his head, then he gets his body where it needs to be in order to make the catch. He also plays it like a basketball player boxing out his opponent to snare a rebound. Touchdown #2 is similar to his touchdown in the Michigan State game. This time he gets one-on-one coverage from the slot against a safety. Lamb to the slaughter. Touchdown #3 is a leaping two-handed grab. Smith’s location, location, location abilities are otherworldly. He didn’t drop a single deep bomb in any of the games I watched. Alright, so he can catch deep bombs. Can we move on? If this is what you are asking, get the hell out of here. Two more. First, this play against Illinois. This guy Devin Smith sure can make deep over-the-shoulder touchdown catches. To prove he is, in fact, human, watch this play. He… almost didn’t catch it! Throwing the ball in the general direction of Smith and letting him do the rest is a foolproof plan I’m tellin’ ya. He can do a bit other than run deep routes. Not a lot, mind you, but I have some evidence that he can. For instance, there’s this play where he finds the right spot to sit against zone coverage and runs in for a touchdown. Here he makes a catch over the middle on what appears to be a post route. On this play he just comes to a screeching halt. Even though the quarterback is looking the other way, you still need to try to get open if the play breaks down. And, at least to me, both this and this are poorly run routes. In order to stay on the field (or become elite), Smith must get better at running short to intermediate routes. He will come in on multiple receiver packages and force the defense to respect his deep game, which opens up space for teammates. His deep game is special even among NFL players. He knows how to locate, and, more importantly, to adjust his body in order to make difficult catches with the ball flying 40+ yards. Over and over again. If you’re going to be a one-trick pony as a rookie wide receiver, this is the best trick to have up your sleeve. Smith has excellent hands. In the four games I watched, he dropped one pass, and the degree of difficulty on his catches were very high indeed. At the end of the first round, I wouldn’t hesitate to send in his name if I needed some help outside. Are you telling me you don’t want to see Devin Smith catch bombs from Andrew Luck, or Russell Wilson, over the next five or more years? Please.
Posts: 59,327

03-30-2015, 02:55 PM	#4
DJ's left nut Sauntering Vaguely Downwards Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Columbia, Mo Casino cash: $2459099	My favorite choice in the 2nd round. May not last to us, but he and Aguilar are my boys there and of the two, I favor Smith by just a hair. He'd be a great fit in the X for us. __________________ "If there's a god, he's laughing at us.....and our football team..." "When you look at something through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."
Posts: 60,981

03-30-2015, 09:56 PM	#5
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $2294064	If they could trade down l, pluck up another 3rd, I'd take either agholor or smith late first
Posts: 81,579

03-30-2015, 10:20 PM	#6
Urc Burry Veteran Join Date: Jan 2011 Casino cash: $9031048	I agree. I think the second should be the round we address WR. Unless a miracle happens and one of the top 3 slips to 18. That batch of wr's in the 2nd all have really good skill sets that would translate to our offense. if we can get one of Agholor, Dorsett, Lockett, or Smith I will be ecstatic
Posts: 2,465

03-31-2015, 08:21 AM	#7
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $2294064	So the thing is, if they like smith or agholor that much, why not just grab them in the first round?
Posts: 81,579

03-29-2015, 10:40 PM	#2
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2575047	I'm hoping we can get him in the 2nd.
Posts: 92,316

03-30-2015, 05:59 AM	#3
Coochie liquor Bolton gonna knock you out Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Free Vybz Kartel Casino cash: $2172394	Would def like to have him in a Chiefs uni!!
Posts: 20,579

03-31-2015, 08:39 AM	#8
Nightfyre MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Helena, MT Casino cash: $3268849	Hopefully they like a bunch of other players more than Smith and Agholor so they can take whomever drops to them in the second rather than reaching in the first.
Posts: 18,571

03-31-2015, 11:54 AM	#12
Urc Burry Veteran Join Date: Jan 2011 Casino cash: $9031048	Saw this tweet and agree with it a lot @NFLFilmStudy: Don’t worry about reaching. Being cute and waiting or trading down is why your team missed out on T.Y. Hilton and Jimmy Graham. Just take em If you absolutely know he will be there in the next round then go ahead and wait. But if you are reaching by 10-15 picks, go ahead and make it
Posts: 2,465

03-31-2015, 11:58 AM	#13
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2575047	I would have no problem trading down and taking one at the bottom of the 1st round.
Posts: 92,316