Cam Smith DRAFT PROFILE – 2023 NFL DRAFT

Cam Smith NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT INTRODUCTION

Cam Smith, who was rated a 4-star prospect with a score of 0.940 by 247 Sports, attended Westwood High School before joining South Carolina after being heavily recruited. In 2019, his freshman year, he played in only two games and had limited playing time as a cornerback, recording four tackles, two assists, and no stops. Smith failed to record any interceptions or pass breakups, and his QB rating when targeted in coverage was 158.3.

As a sophomore in 2020, Smith played in eight games, tallying 253 snaps, 12 tackles, one assist, and three stops. He had one pass breakup and two interceptions, while giving up a QB rating of 101.5 when targeted.

During his junior year in 2021, Smith played in 11 games, contributing to 473 snaps, recording 35 tackles, four assists, and 13 stops. He was a standout performer in the secondary, securing nine pass breakups and three interceptions, with an impressive quarterback rating of 36.5 when targeted. This is the tape thats most impressive from his time at South Carolina.

During his senior year in 2022, Smith played in 11 games, playing 591 snaps, recording 20 tackles, four assists, and four stops. He secured six pass breakups and one interception, and gave up a QB rating of 71.3 when targeted in coverage, which was good but less impressive than his performance in 2021.

Cam Smith DRAFT PROFILE

Cam Smith has developed into a South Carolina football team’s impact starter by facing top competition and excelling in coverage. Smith is a highly competitive defender who approaches the game with confidence and physicality.

He is a twitchy athlete, equipped with good speed, loose hips, and quick feet, allowing him to stick in man coverage. Smith is patient and balanced at the line of scrimmage, leveraging his releases to disrupt routes early on. He’s an enthusiastic tackler with dynamic click-and-close ability, invading the catch point and making exciting plays on the ball in the air.

Smith’s game at South Carolina continusouly improved over this three seasons, but definitely peaked in 2022. He showcased good instincts.

 

Cam Smith FORTY YARD DASH- 4.45 SECONDS

Cam Smith NFL Draft PLAYER COMPARISON- A.J. Terrell

 

SCOUTING REPORT- STRENGTHS

Cam Smith is a remarkable cornerback whose skills are worth noting. He has a great ability to break up plays in front of him, thanks to his low backpedal, which allows him to stay alert and move quickly. His lateral movements are impressive, and his instincts while covering the zone are outstanding.

What’s even more impressive is his high football IQ, which enables him to read the QB’s eyes and jump short routes. He’s a versatile player who can play both in the slot and split outside. With his 6-foot height, 4.4-second 40-yard dash time, and elite twitchiness, Smith’s overall athleticism is outstanding, making him an exceptional defender on the field.

He’s also great at keeping up with the fastest wideouts in the country, as he was able to limit Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt to only 65 yards in one game. Smith’s exceptional ability to close down on receivers is what sets him apart from others.

In addition, Smith has the quick feet to mirror receivers underneath, and his fluid hips and top-end speed enable him to turn and run downfield with ease. When dropping into zone coverage, he displays good route recognition and breaks quickly to cover a lot of ground, showcasing excellent awareness on the field.

Smith’s solid ball skills are impressive, with 15 passes broken up, which is the most in his NFL draft class. With his length and good speed, Smith excels in man coverage. He has great ball skills and a high catch point. His athleticism, versatility, and instincts make him an all-around standout defender, with the potential to contribute in multiple ways.

Smith is best when he jams receivers at the line and uses his physicality and length to press. He’s tough to beat downfield

SCOUTING REPORT- Weaknesses

Smith’s aggressiveness as a tackler as a run defender is admirable, but his inability to wrap up ball carriers and occasional misses are areas for improvement. In his NFL career, he will need to assist in run support and make plays on the ball carrier.

Additionally, his physical approach to the game would be more effective with a bit more weight. Although Smith is mostly poised and balanced at the line of scrimmage, his occasional over-eagerness results in uncontrolled hand movements and imbalance.

Smith’s 2022 season was marred with frequent penalty flags, primarily due to his grabbiness in coverage, a habit he will need to break. He tends to grab on double moves in man coverage, but Smith has the speed to play press and still make up for lost ground cleanly.

Cam Smith NFL DRAFT SUMMARY

Despite these areas of improvement, Smith has all the makings of a quality starting cornerback in the NFL and is rightly so one of the top cornerbacks prospects in the NFL draft.

His sharp processing and play recognition skills combined with his outstanding football skills make him an all-around standout defender at the corner position. He has the potential to become an excellent starter in the league, and it is conceivable that he could start early in his professional career.

Plus Side:

• Natural instincts and ball skills. Can locate passes and makes plays downfield
• Great in press coverage, but solid in zone as well
• Solid speed. Good feet, balance, and hips mobility when reading receivers

Negatives:

• Needs more discipline and physicality making tackles
• Needs more weight to his frame
• Needs more patience and not commit penalties

Cam Smith is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL draft at the corner position. The Scouting report on Smith shows that he’s great at matching receivers with his physicality and balance. His frame is solid but not excpetional compared to some others at his position.

We have Smith as our 20th overall ranked prospect and 4th at cornerback.