Ryan Smith NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Buccaneers Rookie

POSITIVES

Ryan Smith somehow made it all the way to tiny North Carolina Central, but NFL scouts have made the trek to find him. He has the tools to be a rookie impact player in the slot and a potential starter on the outside for some schemes.

An aggressive, physical tackler, Smith comes downhill with intent to do harm. He dominated smaller competition with his size and toughness in the run game or when taking on receivers in the screen game. Watching his tape, it's easy to see why coaches rave about him.

Smith is a versatile athlete with coverage and return skills. He has enough quickness and agility to be a difference-maker with the ball in his hands and averaged 28.1 yards per kick return in 2015. Smith's reputation grew in the small-school ranks, and he was avoided by opposing quarterbacks, which limited his ability to show off the ball skills that flash on his tape from time to time.

A tremendous value pick with big upside, Smith has the goods to be starting in the NFL when his rookie contract expires.

NEGATIVES

Playing against non-NFL opponents, Smith was able to freelance and get away with bad habits in coverage. He's an athlete playing on the edge and hasn't been forced to learn timing or how to read the body lean of a receiver to make a play on the ball. He'll be a work in progress in zone coverage, especially.

Smith doesn't have great length (30 ½-inch arms) or hand size (8 ⅞") and may fail the standards set for some teams at the position. Without twitchy, explosive movements, Smith may struggle to track outside receivers down the field. Combine these issues and it projects Smith as a slot-only cornerback—a role he's never played.

Everyone wants to be the scout to find the small-school star turned starter, and Smith might be that player. He has instincts and great production against low levels of competition, but a lack of size and speed will be the first test in acclimating to the NFL.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 189 lbs.

40 Time: 4.47s

3-Cone: 6.88s

Short Shuttle: 4.09s

PRO COMPARISON: Buster Skrine, New York Jets
FINAL GRADE: 5.60/9.00 (Round 5—Backup Caliber)