PLAYBOOK
NFL 4 DAMON COGDELL, SMITH’S COACH AT MIRAMAR (FLA.) HS Geno came to practice late one time, so I sat him for the first half of our next game. First play of the second half, he hits a seam route for an 80-yard TD that went about 60 yards in the air. From that day on, Geno was never late again.
SCOUTTAKES
5 MCSHAY If a team feels he needs to pick up something, he’s got the work ethic. He’s one of the most determined young men I’ve met.
THE BEST DEFENSE...
In advance of the draft on April 25, dozens of anonymous scouts will size up and break down West Virginia’s Geno Smith, the top-rated QB in many war rooms. But are they judging him fairly? We asked a scout to give us his take, then got feedback from our experts—and the QB himself. Now, that’s going deep. THE SCOUT People are going to draw analogies to RG3, but he’s not RG3. Smith doesn’t bail out of harm’s way; he hangs in the pocket.1 He’s capable of running,2 but I don’t think he wants to be a runner.3 He has all the physical tools, with a very strong arm.4 There are times when the ball gets away from him or he’ll make a quick decision and throw to the wrong part of the field.5 For him, the biggest challenge will be how quickly he can grasp his new offense.6 Teams will learn that only in the interview process, when he’s drawing plays on the chalkboard.7 But he has the ability to be a very good NFL player—just not at the same level as RG3.
ARMS RACE BIO BLAST
1 GENO SMITH I hang in the pocket because that’s how I believe quarterback is played—from the neck up. I do have the ability to extend plays with my legs, but I’m constantly keeping my eyes downfield trying to find guys open.
7 SMITH I’ve always been an artist, so I’m visually inclined. That helps me when it comes to seeing plays. I actually enjoy getting on the board and drawing the plays.
2 TODD MCSHAY, ESPN DRAFT ANALYST He’s quick and buys extra time to keep plays alive. But he’s not Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick. People should get over that idea right now. 3 SMITH I’m a pocket passer. I grew up watching Dan Marino, and he always said that there is no defense for a perfect pass.
HERE’S HOW SMITH COMPARES WITH OTHER POTENTIAL FIRST-ROUND QBs, MATT BARKLEY OF USC AND MIKE GLENNON OF NC STATE. CAREER TD S TO INT S
CAREER PASSING YARDS
GENO SMITH WEST VIRGINIA QB HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 218 BEST 40 TIME 4.59 PROJECTED DRAFT STATUS TOP-25 PICK
0
3,000
7,411
11,662
6,000
9,000
CAREER PASSER RATING GENO SMITH 98 TDS, 21 INTS
34
6 KC JOYNER, ESPN INSIDER He’s being typecast as a system QB who throws only short stuff, but the tape shows he was adept at attacking the D in ways other than dink/ dunk throws. Put him in the right system and he can be a stretch-thefield-type passer.
ESPN The Magazine 03/18/2013
MATT BARKLEY 116 TDS, 48 INTS
MIKE GLENNON 63 TDS, 31 INTS
0
50
12,000
132.3
100
12,327
148.7
153.5
150
illustration by BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN PETER G. AIKEN/USA TODAY SPORTS