Telvin Smith NFL Draft 2014: Highlights, Scouting Report for Jaguars OLB
Telvin Smith, OLB, Florida State (HT: 6’3”, WT: 218 lbs.)
Fifth Round: 144th Pick
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NFL Comparison: Kam Chancellor, S, Seattle Seahawks
| 6030 | 218 lbs. | 32 1/2" | 10 1/4" |
| 4.52 | 1.53 | 31.5 | 9'11" | DNP | DNP |
Positives
- Has a way of seeing plays develop before they do; highly instinctive.
- Little hesitation to react when he gets his reads.
- Plants his foot and closes quickly.
- Natural awareness of surroundings; can see everything happening around him.
- Sudden feet in short areas to change directions.
- Comfortable on his feet to flow laterally and keep shoulders square to the line of scrimmage.
- True sideline-to-sideline speed.
- Can turn and run to get to spots in pass coverage in a hurry.
- Has recovery speed to disguise coverage or feign blitzes before closing space on receivers.
- Plays with head on a swivel and finds receivers quickly in zone coverage.
- Drives forward with aggression to meet blocks quickly and close down space for backs.
- Drops pads to take on blockers with leverage.
- Adequate length to extend his hands and maintain space.
- Keeps his eyes up to not lose the football when taking on blockers.
- Has balance to take a blow from a blocker and regain footing quickly.
- Tremendous usage of lateral quickness and flexibility to evade blockers without exposing gaps.
- Disciplined in pursuit to keep inside-out leverage.
- Wraps and hauls ball-carriers to the ground without missing many tackles.
- Plays with a high energy level and a chip on his shoulder.
- Lots of experience on special teams units.
Negatives
- Has the build of a safety with an especially small waist.
- Clear size and strength disadvantage against interior run blockers who go toe-to-toe with him.
- Can be physically overwhelmed picking his way through traffic against heavy sets.
- Has trouble clearing contact and staying balanced even if he begins to scrape off a block.
- Tends to get out of control in pursuit and drop his head or leave his feet to make tackle attempts.
- Can give up an extra yard or more trying to get bigger backs to the ground.
- Plays with too much energy and bounces around without discipline at times.
- Inconsistent blitzer with little upper-body strength to ward off blocks.
- May be viewed as a sub-package linebacker only due to lack of ideal size.
- Only one season as a true starter at Florida State.
- Didn’t face blockers often; benefited from talented defensive line in front of him.
| 2010 | FSU | 18 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | FSU | 42 | 8.5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | FSU | 64 | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2013 | FSU | 90 | 9.5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
Personal Notes
- A 4-star prospect as a recruit in class of 2010 and ranked 107th in ESPN150, per ESPN.com.
- Only started in his senior season but had significant playing time in all four.
- 2013 second-team All-ACC.
Ratings Chart
Overall
Projecting Telvin Smith to the NFL is a tricky venture. His size and timed measurements indicate a move to safety would be possible, but that doesn’t play to his strengths and seems unwise. Concerns about his ability to hold up in the box as a starter will always be there.
Smith is a luxury type of player for a team that has a plan for how to maximize his strengths. Whether it is as a linebacker on passing downs only or as a type of linebacker/safety hybrid, getting Telvin Smith on the field will pay dividends. For a majority of Florida State’s games, he was the most impactful player on the defense. That is a big compliment considering the talent on that side.
Draft Projection: Third Round
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