know we see 2 different games when we evaluate players....
give my take on Smelter...bullish straight line player with below average straight line speed or quickness. Runs a very limited route tree(basically the same 2 routes over and over) in a very friendly offense for wr's..
being hurt IMO helps his stock because scouts don't get current 40, vertical or short times...which I expect would be very bad
lacks the flexibility/body control to play wr at the next level...
a bad fit for the Rams because it's doubtful he can play special teams coming off the ACL and will need years to develop the ability to beat press or become fluid enough to run a complete rt tree. Sort of an over sized Givens. Useless unless starting.
You had previously listed Bell in one of your mocks....a perfect fit for the rams along with players like Rannell Hall and Dez Lewis. All great 4th wr's..(the ability to play all 3 wr spots and special teams) I don't get your infatuation with Smelter but it doesn't matter. We can follow his career over the next 2/3 years and one of us will have a learning opportunity..which is all the draft is, a learning opportunity to learn and grow from our misses.
Gotta disagree. You look at what Darren Waller put up athletically and then watch the two on the field, it leaves you with a distinctly different impression. Those big GT WRs are always sneaky athletic. A lot of people didn't think DeMaryius Thomas was as athletic as he is.
As far as quickness, we're talking about a 225 pound WR making moves like these:
On the flexibility and acceleration front, check this out:
Look at how fluid his hips are to sell that route as hard as he did, watch the natural bend as he sells the hitch, and then you see the acceleration into the go.
Here's an example of body control:
Another example of Smelter's flexibility:
Again, you see the hips sink naturally, the fluidity of his hips, and then the explosiveness coming out of his cut...plus, a nice subtle little push-off...again, I'll point out that he's 6'2" 225...you don't expect a guy with a body type like that to cut, bend, and flip his hips with the ease that Smelter does...yes, he's a raw route runner but he's got the skill-set to be very good at it if you develop him.
Showing some quickness and acceleration here:
Here's a good shot of him up against Kendall Fuller:
My "infatuation" with Smelter is simple. Big, strong, aggressive WR that plays with physicality before the catch, after the catch, and when blocking with the speed to get behind defenses, the hips and flexibility to run routes effectively at the next level, the quickness to make players miss after the catch, and absolutely massive hands with no drop issues (although he does need to be more consistent attacking the ball away from his frame).
