Alabama has a proven track record of producing elite, NFL-caliber wide receivers, and DeVonta Smith is no exception.
In spite of his small frame (6-foot-1, 175 pounds), which has been criticized across the league, Smith will be one of the first few wideouts selected in this year's NFL Draft. And according to NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund, no team should be worried about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner's size or potential to thrive against pro-level competition.
"He's really good in press coverage. I mean, top in FBS. Really, really good," Frelund told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Tuesday. "I don't care about his size... I mean, I do but I don't, right. When you look at how consistently he runs routes -- and I track it with computer vision, it looks like a telestrator, so you see the yellow line that follows it -- Alabama wide receivers are really good at running routes. I mean, [Atlanta Falcons receiver] Calvin Ridley is the poster child for this and DeVonta Smith is just like that. He's really interesting, because he has a really high floor, meaning he has a less likelihood of being a bust, and he also has a super-high ceiling.
"His size does mean it'll matter [to teams]. I'm from Michigan, the Lions are going to be terrible this year, so I'd like to put him on a different team for his own success. But he flashes as someone who is a No. 1, true wideout right away. I'm not worried about his size. I'm not. He's not like my height, right. He's not 5-foot-6."
Smith, who helped the Crimson Tide win a national championship this past January, is currently ranked the ninth-best prospect on Pro Football Focus' NFL Draft Big Board. In 13 games last season, the 22-year-old hauled in 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, and averaged 16.9 yards per reception during his four-year career at Alabama.
As Frelund noted, Smith's route-running ability is strong, and his performance in press coverage is exceptional. According to Pro Football Focus, no collegiate wideout since 2016 has come within a half-yard of Smith's second-best season against press coverage in terms of receiving yards per route run.
If Smith is drafted in the Top-10 this April, he would be the first Alabama receiver to accomplish the feat since Amari Cooper (fourth overall) in 2015, and the second since Julio Jones (sixth overall) in 2011.
The entire NFL Draft conversation between Frelund and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.