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DeAndre Smelter is a wide receiver who tore his ACL late in the season, so his availability in 2015 is up in question. He also played for Georgia Tech, where he wasn't asked to run a complex route tree.
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Alright, for those of you that haven't closed this page after reading that intro, stick around. Smelter's injury has put a damper on any buzz he might've generated, but he was sneakily one of the best wide receiver prospects in this draft. Now you can get him at a discount. Read on to find out why:
Pros
- Built like an Adonis at 6-foot-2, 226 pounds, with almost 33-inch long arms and ABSURD 11-inch hands. For reference, Hakeem Nicks has 10.5-inch hands and Odell Beckham has 10-inch hands..
- Powerful body control with basketball like ability to box out defenders and consistently win contested situations.
- Has some shake and bake to his game, capable of pulling double moves and other subtle fakes
- Bullies defenders during the route to gain separation
- Plus burst off the snap and good long speed for his size
- Tremendous run blocker
- Fiery competitor with good character
- Ran his routes crisply, with good change of direction ability
Cons
- Tore his ACL
- Understanding of route tree is limited because of playing at Georgia Tech
- Catch radius is sometimes underwhelming/will body catch at times
Does He Fit With The Giants?
Yes. He presents as a huge down the field possession receiver. He's got very good body control and is one of the most physical wide receivers in this year's class. He's also a tremendous run blocker and that help for screens. He's a mature, hard worker, and already has the footwork to run routes well, so it's a matter of him learning how to run the full route tree as a pro, and he should be a fit for Ben McAdoo.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - Not in top 100
Mocking The Draft - Not in top 100
CBS Sports - 381
Draft Tek - Not in top 400
Final Thoughts
Lance Zierlein compares Smelter to Eric Decker. I compare him to Decker's teammate, Brandon Marshall. A huge target who can win vertically and has some agility to his game is always going to be appreciated. If he didn't have his ACL injury, we'd probably be talking about him in the same breath that we talk about Nelson Agholor and Jaelen Strong as guys going near the top of the second round.
He'll probably be available in the mid to late rounds, and if the Giants aren't opposed to spending one of those picks to help develop Smelter's overall game, he could really blossom into a dynamic and powerful weapon.