Brad Smelley: 5 Biggest Strengths and Weaknesses of 2012 NFL Draft Prospect

Good hands and someone who can put a helmet on a defender and bowl them over.

Those are two of the accolades Alabama fullback Brad Smelley has received in sidelinescouting.com.

The Crimson Tide product is the second rated prospect from the fullback position in Thursday's draft.

Not only was he a good blocker for players like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, but Smelley was productive with 27 catches for 317 yards and four touchdowns and 21 of his 27 catches (77.8 percent) have helped the Crimson Tide offense convert a first down.

Will Smelley be a success in the NFL? Possibly, as cbssportsline.com has ranked him as the 194th overall prospect, and would be a sixth-round draft choice.

According to both websites, here is how scouts assess Smelley and his future in the NFL.

Reliable Out of the Backfield

Smelley is a converted quarterback.

He is also a reliable receiver, the type of guy that quarterbacks look for rolling out on third down. He has nice soft hands and doesn't drop the ball. A versatile player who is likely to settle in as an H-Back at the next level.

He has Redskins written all over him.

He Knows How to Block

He's a good blocker and a committed player who gives 100 percent on every play and his effort compensates for his lack of overall strength.

Smelley is a good role player. He can fill many roles, which makes him more appealing to NFL teams and scouts.

He uses what he can to make up for his shortcomings as a player.

Not Very Fast

He needs to work on his foot speed and his lateral movement.

The NFL is a faster game and he will be pushed around by bigger linemen and linebackers.

He Needs to Understand the Speed of the Game

He lacks suddenness and will struggle to create separation when running routes.

This will be a problem because while he could bowl players over in college, the middle linebacker covering him out of the backfield across the middle will stick him in the ground.

Needs to Work on All Facets of the NFL Game

He is not a natural bender and struggles with leverage and generating power from his lower half.

There is work to be done on his technique and how he should blocker bigger defenders. He's not the most technically refined pass-protector or run-blocker and plays reckless at times.

Also, his production was limited his first three seasons on the team.