D.J. Smith Scouting Report Compendium

[Lurker64]

Measurables:
Height: 5105
Weight: 239
Arms: 32"
Hands: 9 3/4"
Reps: 20
40: 4.75
20: 2.70
10: 1.78
Vert: 31"
Broad: 08'08"
Shuttle: 4.45
Cone: 7.35

[Lurker64]

ESPN

Overall Football Traits:
Production: 2
2007: (15/9) 121 total tackles, 11 PBUs, 2 INTs (1 returned for TD). 2008: (14/14) 123 total tackles. 2009: (14/14) 137 total tackles, 14.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR. 2010: (13/13) 144 total tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 PBUs, 1 INT, 1 FR.

Height-Weight-Speed: 3
Average weight and top-end speed. Height is slightly below average.

Durability: 2
Size lends to concerns about long-term durability in the NFL. But he has shown no signs of injury problems to date. Has started all 41 games during final three seasons.

Intangibles: 2
Appalachian State Head Coach Jerry Moore and Defensive Coordinator Dale Jones have praised Smith's leadership. Quick to praise teammates for personal success.

Outside Linebacker Specific Traits [He's an ILB in the 3-4, take this with a grain of salt]

Instincts/Recognition: 3
Tracks ball and steps up when sees daylight when scraping down the line. Can sniff out screens. Keeps head up and flashes adequate route recognition skills. Doesn't take many false steps but quarter count late diagnosing the play and locating ball a little too much.

Strength/Toughness: 4
Not afraid to take on bigger blockers but can get engulfed and put on back by offensive linemen. Hands aren't violent enough. Takes too long to get off blocks.

Range vs. Run: 3
Flashes the ability to chase backs down from behind but could make more plays in pursuit. Inconsistent angles. Range appears above average at times and average at other times. Could play with better motor at times but effort doesn't appear to be only factor. Showed better range against Florida in season finale than did against Furman less than a month earlier in 2010.

Tackling: 3
Wraps up legs when chasing but not as effective when facing the ball carrier. Flashes the ability to square and wrap up but can wrap too high and slip off would-be tackles. Not an elite athlete and backs can shake him in space.

3rd Down Capabilities: 3
Can open and get to depth in zone coverage. Adequate closing speed and can limit production after the catch but not as effective matching up in man coverage. Some stiffness in hips and going to have problems limiting separation getting out of breaks. Shows just adequate burst and doesn't show a variety of moves when rushing the passer.

[Lurker64]

CBS Sports
Overview:
Darryl Devon Smith, Jr. has been one of the most productive defenders for a very strong "App State" program, racking up more than 500 tackles and multiple All-American nominations during his four years.

Smith did not even start until the seventh game of his freshman year, but still managed 121 tackles (49 solo, 5.5 for loss, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups). His 123 stops in 2008 (58 solo, 6.5 for loss, three sacks, two INTs) earned him second-team All-Southern Conference honors. His 137 tackles (14.5 for loss, two sacks, eight pass breakups) as a junior and 144 tackles (76 solo, 4.5 for loss, two sacks) in his senior year gained him All-American honors.

Dexter Coakley came out of Appalachian State in the mid-1990s and had a long NFL career at linebacker despite a lack of prototypical size. Scouts will see quite a bit of Coakley in Smith, though it's probable he won't be a third-round pick like the former Cowboys and Rams starter because he lacks pure athleticism. Smith's nose for the ball and solid tackling, however, could make him a late-round pick.

Analysis:
Positives: Thick, compact linebacker. Scrapes down the line, stays square to get to the ball. Adept at picking up running backs in the flat. Good change of direction in tight spaces, able to break down and stay low to wrap up ballcarriers. Excellent wrap-up tackler in space, hustles to the ball well. Rips off tight end blocks at the second level to make plays. Gets to the first down marker when dropping into coverage, also capable of pounding receivers in intermediate-to-deep zones. Good delayed blitzer, corrals most QBs in the backfield and can get up quickly to block passes.

Negatives: Shorter than scouts prefer, has trouble finding the ball inside at times due to his lack of height. Has short arms, limiting his ability to grab NFL backs on the way through or get off blocks. Relies more on hustle than straight-line speed to make tackles. Catches more than explodes into ballcarriers. Overruns plays, leaving open cutback lanes. Gets moved out of gaps easily by offensive linemen. Gets sucked up by play-action. Marginal fluidity in his drops. Gets blocked too easily by running backs on blitzes. Strong backs can lower the shoulder to push him downfield. Tackle numbers early in his career inflated by liberal rewarding of assists.


Help me out here, there's not much on this guy.

[vince]

Draft Scout Snapshot:

2010: Smith led the SoCon and ranked fifth nationally with 144 total tackles...also recorded four-and-a-half tackles for loss, two sacks, five quarterback hurries, four pass break-ups, an interception and a fumble recovery and finished his career with 525 tackles, the most among all Division I players (FCS or FBS) active in 2010. His 525 career stops rank fourth in SoCon history and he joined Coakley as the only players in ASU history to surpass the 500-tackle plateau...

2009: Was recognized by many observers as the top defender on a unit that included Buck Buchanan Award finalist Mark LeGree and former Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jacque Roman ... collected first-team all-America recognition from The Sports Network and first-team all-conference accolades from the league’s coaches and media ... led squad and tied for first in the SoCon and second nationally with 137 total tackles (60 solo, 77 assists) ... led ASU in tackles seven times, including each of the first four games of the year ...

2008: Ranked second on the team and in the SoCon and 12th nationally with 123 tackles on the season ... despite the gaudy numbers, only received second-team all-conference recognition from the league’s coaches and media and did not receive even an honorable-mention all-America nod ... reached double-figure tackles five times in 14 games, beginning with 11 in the season opener at LSU and closing with averaging 15 tackles per game in two postseason contests ...

2007: Turned in a spectacular season as a true freshman ... finished second on the squad and fourth in the SoCon with 121 total tackles (47 solo), despite not winning the starting position at weakside linebacker from incumbent starter Cam Speer until the seventh game of the season ... tackles were the most by an ASU freshman since Dexter Coakley recorded 159 in 1993 ... notched double-digit tackles in 5-of-9 starts.

[pbmax]

Football's Future found even less on the guy. And I am drawing a blank.

[vince]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/09000d5d81ec2c57/2011-combine-workout-D-J-Smith

[vince]

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/sports/DJ-Smith-Former-App-State-and-Indy-Football-Star-Returns-to-Got-Game-112490574.html

[vince]

http://www.draftnasty.com/index.php?cID=4002

[pbmax]

Silverstein says the Packers think he can play outside.