Versatile DE Preston Smith a Premium Prospect Without the Price Tag

March 21, 2015   ·   Christopher Hansen   ·   Jump to comments

For teams looking for premium players past the first 15 picks or so in the 2015 NFL draft, there won’t be many options. The Seattle Seahawks decided to trade their first-round pick for tight end Jimmy Graham because they only have 16 first-round grades, per Peter King of themmqb.com.
Teams drafting at the end of the first round and the early second round will have to look at prospects differently. Among the traits that are always at a premium are versatility, size and athleticism. Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith has all of those traits but one lucky NFL team will probably be able to get him without using a premium pick.
Smith impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl, combine and his pro day, but there has been surprisingly little buzz about the 6’5” 271-pound pass-rusher with 34” arms and 10 5/8” hands. That’s curious at this time of year, unless teams quietly love him.
There is, admittedly, a lot to love about Smith. Aside fr...

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