Kevin Smith pegged as a 4th round draft pick....

[DawgPound]

I laughed because you put Tashard Choice ahead of him.  On Scout, he's ahead of Ray Rice.

[flsportsfan83]

SI has an article that put Choice ahead of him.

[flsportsfan83]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/bucky_brooks/02/13/rb.prospects/index.html?eref=T1

[Triple B]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/bucky_brooks/02/13/rb.prospects/index.html?eref=T1

I've got a hard time taking someone named "Bucky Brooks" seriously .....

[Gridiron God]

It is a good thing none of you coach football.

Kevin Smith might be the biggest, strongest or fastest back out there, but he has the best balance and vision of any back I have seen in the past ten years.  I coached against Emmitt Smith many moons ago and we had better athletes than Escambia did, but Emmitt just was so **** patient he would wait for a tiny whole to open up and he just slipped through it.  I watched Kevin Smith do that this year, he may not be taken in the first couple of rounds, but whatever team gets him, will do well to keep him.  If he can stay healthy, he will have a very nice NFL career.

[SANJAY]

GG, I agree that Smith is a pretty good back. His style of running is more upright than emmit, and he is a bigger target.  He'll also need a decent line to be effective as his burst through the line is not great. 

[Bull Dozer]

It is a good thing none of you coach football.

Kevin Smith might be the biggest, strongest or fastest back out there, but he has the best balance and vision of any back I have seen in the past ten years.  I coached against Emmitt Smith many moons ago and we had better athletes than Escambia did, but Emmitt just was so **** patient he would wait for a tiny whole to open up and he just slipped through it.  I watched Kevin Smith do that this year, he may not be taken in the first couple of rounds, but whatever team gets him, will do well to keep him.  If he can stay healthy, he will have a very nice NFL career.

Check his numbers when he played against non C-usa defenses or just good defenses in general.  Dude does great against bad competition but when he faces a good defense his numbers aren't exactly spectacular.  I still don't get where everyone says he's so fast all the games i've seen him he looks quick but his speed doesn't impress me.  Hes not even the best pro prospect in his conference btw.  I can see him as a back up but not a feature back in the league because of his lack of break away speed and his upright running style. 

Edit: I agree with Sanjay about his burst through the line. 

[postmortem]

Kevin Smith might be the biggest, strongest or fastest back out there, but he has the best balance and vision of any back I have seen in the past ten years. 

Better look out for Noel Devine in the next 3 years.

[Gridiron God]

It is a good thing none of you coach football.

Kevin Smith might be the biggest, strongest or fastest back out there, but he has the best balance and vision of any back I have seen in the past ten years.  I coached against Emmitt Smith many moons ago and we had better athletes than Escambia did, but Emmitt just was so **** patient he would wait for a tiny whole to open up and he just slipped through it.  I watched Kevin Smith do that this year, he may not be taken in the first couple of rounds, but whatever team gets him, will do well to keep him.  If he can stay healthy, he will have a very nice NFL career.

Check his numbers when he played against non C-usa defenses or just good defenses in general.  Dude does great against bad competition but when he faces a good defense his numbers aren't exactly spectacular.   I still don't get where everyone says he's so fast all the games i've seen him he looks quick but his speed doesn't impress me.   Hes not even the best pro prospect in his conference btw.  I can see him as a back up but not a feature back in the league because of his lack of break away speed and his upright running style. 

Edit: I agree with Sanjay about his burst through the line. 

It is a big mistake to think you need to be very fast to be a good running back.  Emimitt Smith was not fast at all, we clocked him around the 4.7 range in high school.  What he had was great vision.  You can't blame Kevin Smith for the lack of yards against USF, he had no help in his passing game and their offensive coordinator would not cut it at my old high school.  What Kevin did, he mostly did without much help, outside a pretty solid offensive line.  Kevin ran for:

217 yards against NCSU, not a great team, but a decent ACC team.

149 yards against Texas, statistically a better defense than every big east team.

147 yards against ECU, a team that shut down BSU, a very good offensive team.

175 yards against USM, always a tough team.

119 yards against Mississippi State, did that without even a QB.

Put you hatred aside for UCF and realize that Kevin is a very special back.  Don't buy what you hear from stats and talking heads.  The NFL guys know what he is about and he will be gone by the third round and I am willing to bet he has a better career than 90% of all the back taken ahead of him.

[Bull Dozer]

It is a good thing none of you coach football.

Kevin Smith might be the biggest, strongest or fastest back out there, but he has the best balance and vision of any back I have seen in the past ten years.  I coached against Emmitt Smith many moons ago and we had better athletes than Escambia did, but Emmitt just was so **** patient he would wait for a tiny whole to open up and he just slipped through it.  I watched Kevin Smith do that this year, he may not be taken in the first couple of rounds, but whatever team gets him, will do well to keep him.  If he can stay healthy, he will have a very nice NFL career.

Check his numbers when he played against non C-usa defenses or just good defenses in general.  Dude does great against bad competition but when he faces a good defense his numbers aren't exactly spectacular.  I still don't get where everyone says he's so fast all the games i've seen him he looks quick but his speed doesn't impress me.  Hes not even the best pro prospect in his conference btw.  I can see him as a back up but not a feature back in the league because of his lack of break away speed and his upright running style. 

Edit: I agree with Sanjay about his burst through the line. 

It is a big mistake to think you need to be very fast to be a good running back.  Emimitt Smith was not fast at all, we clocked him around the 4.7 range in high school.  What he had was great vision.  You can't blame Kevin Smith for the lack of yards against USF, he had no help in his passing game and their offensive coordinator would not cut it at my old high school.  What Kevin did, he mostly did without much help, outside a pretty solid offensive line.  Kevin ran for:

217 yards against NCSU, not a great team, but a decent ACC team.

149 yards against Texas, statistically a better defense than every big east team.

147 yards against ECU, a team that shut down BSU, a very good offensive team.

175 yards against USM, always a tough team.

119 yards against Mississippi State, did that without even a QB.

Put you hatred aside for UCF and realize that Kevin is a very special back.  Don't buy what you hear from stats and talking heads.  The NFL guys know what he is about and he will be gone by the third round and I am willing to bet he has a better career than 90% of all the back taken ahead of him.

ok lets break down your games there

217 yards against NCSU, not a great team, but a decent ACC team. 

Decent are you kidding me?  By what standards is 5-7 (with one W being against Woffard) decent?  They are also proud owners of the 91st ranked rushing defense in the country. 

149 yards against Texas, statistically a better defense than every big east team.

This is one of his best games, it's undeniable.  What does Texas have to do with the BE defenses?  The only defenses from the BE that applies to this conversation is USF  because thats the only team that UCF played.  We all know how that turned out. 

147 yards against ECU, a team that shut down BSU, a very good offensive team.

Since when is surrendering 38 points and winning the game on a FG as time expires "shutting someone down"  Also what does offense have to do with Mr Smith?

Also ECU's Defense-is 95th in total defense and 50 against the run. 

175 yards against USM, always a tough team.

7-5 in conference USA isn't exactly a tough team on the national scale.  63rd ranked total defense 43rd against the run.  Not exactly world beaters on defense. Smith also amassed 40plus carries this game.  Hammering for about 4yds a pop against an average defense great accomplishment there. 

119 yards against Mississippi State, did that without even a QB.

3.4yds a carry against another average run defense wow impressive.  Miss St. 58th against the run. 

Sorry but one good game against Texas doesn't have me very impressed.  Smith is a tweener at the pro level and will not have a running style.  Too slow to be a speed back not powerful or big enough to be a downhill power guy.  Also please stop disgracing a top 5 RB of all time by comparing him to Kevin Smith.  Kevin has done nothing to show he can even carry Emmitt's jock at this point.  The only thing the two have in common is the last name Smith until Kevin actually produces at the pro level.  Facts are  K. Smith was a very good college back but he doesn't have the tools to succeed at the next level unless he is behind an elite line.  Smith will not be able to create yardage on his own at the pro level and all successful pro backs are able to do that one way or another.  If im wrong on this i will be here to own up to it, i hope will do the same.  Agree to Disagree because neither one of us is changing the others mind.     

Edit: defensive rankings taken from http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2007&div=4&site=org