Chau Smith-wade NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Carolina Panthers CB

HEIGHT: 5'10"

WEIGHT: 184

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 30¼"

WINGSPAN: 72⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.54

3-CONE: 7.05

SHUTTLE: 4.32

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Very quick feet and reaction in press coverage. Shows very good lateral movement skills, with the ability to use his hands and squeeze receivers downfield.

— Good vision and spacing in zone coverage. Able to identify and understand route development. Reads quarterback's eyes well and sees threats.

— Stays calm when out of position with the ball in the air. Plays through hands with very good timing.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks ideal length and size for an NFL outside cornerback.

— Does a great job of locating the ball, but lacks hands to capitalize on turning most opportunities into turnovers.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 7 G, 35 TOT, 2 TFL, 6 PD

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NOTES

— 20 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

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OVERALL

Chau Smith-Wade is an ultra-athletic cornerback with two years of starting experience for Washington State. Although he's slightly undersized cornerback, he was very productive throughout his career.

Smith-Wade looked like one of the top cornerbacks at the Senior Bowl this year. He was able to show off his quick feet and fluid hips in coverage, along with his slot corner skills.

Smith-Wade has the versatility to play both man and zone coverages. When in zone, he has the vision and spacing needed to capitalize in coverage. He is able to see routes develop and quickly identify threats while reacting to the quarterback's eyes.

At times, Smith-Wade can get caught gambling or staring at the quarterback too long. When playing the ball, he does a good job of getting his head around to react, but he lacks the hands to capitalize on his opportunities.

He excels in press coverage, where he is able to show off his footwork, lateral movement skills and twitch. He does a very good job of using his hands while in coverage, but he can be too handsy downfield at times.

Smith-Wade has shown great twitch and explosiveness when driving on the ball. However, his high pad level can cause sloppy or hesitant footwork and transitions in off coverage at times.

Although he lacks ideal size for an NFL cornerback, Smith-Wade shows up in the run game. He is quick to identify runs or screens and comes downhill with good aggressiveness. He often uses his quickness to beat blocks in space, combined with good hand usage when in limited space.

However, his lack of overall size can show up at times in run defense. When matched against bigger blockers, Smith-Wade can get walled off and forced to run around blocks. As a tackler, he does a great job of getting the ball-carrier down on the ground. He often runs through the legs or does a great job of securing the wrap tackle.

At the Senior Bowl, Smith-Wade was able to show his versatility in coverage from the outside and nickel positions. Due to his lack of length, the nickel position may be the best fit for him, although he provides more than enough skills to be a depth player as a high-level backup.

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GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 75

POSITION RANK: CB11

PRO COMPARISON: Troy Pride Jr.

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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