CONGRATS TO CHRIS SMITH
ARKANSAS’ 2nd 2014 NFL DRAFT PICK
159th Overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Smith
CAREER SUMMARY: Smith has seen action in 31 games with 15 starts and recorded 86 tackles, 19.0 for loss with 13.0 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, six pass breakups and one forced fumble. His sacks total is tied for 12th on the school’s all-time list. He and Jadeveon Clowney are the only returners in the SEC with 9.0 sacks or more in 2012.
2012: Smith started all 12 games and was named honorable-mention All-SEC after recording 52 tackles, 13.0 for loss with 9.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. His tackles for loss total was the seventh-highest single-season output in school history.
His average of 0.79 sacks per game ranked fourth in the SEC and 25th in the NCAA, and his average of 1.08 tackles for loss per game tied for fifth in the conference. He recorded a career-high eight tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble in the 19-15 win vs. Tulsa.
He registered the forced fumble on a sack with less than one minute remaining in the game, clinching the victory. He was named SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against the Golden Hurricane. He also was named SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after opening the season with a then-career-high-tying six tackles, 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry in a 49-24 victory vs. Jacksonville State.
He had three tackles, 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack for a loss of 15 yards, and two quarterback hurries vs. ULM. He made four tackles vs. No. 1 Alabama and had one quarterback hurry vs. Rutgers. He registered five tackles, 1.0 for loss, and one quarterback hurry at Texas A&M. He made five tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries in the 24-7 win at Auburn and made one tackle and one pass breakup in the next week’s 49-7 victory vs. Kentucky. He had five tackles, 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry vs. Ole Miss. He made four tackles, 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, at No. 12 South Carolina and had five tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries at Mississippi State. He ended the season with six tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup vs. No. 8 LSU.
Here is Chris Smith on Senior Day in 2013, talking about his game and what it meant to be a Razorback.
2011: He played in all 13 games with three starts and made 31 tackles, 6.0 for loss with 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. His tackles for loss total was the fourth-highest on the team. He made a career-high six tackles, including 1.0 for loss in his start at No. 3 Alabama. He made four tackles, including 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack and one quarterback hurry in the first start of his career, a 38-28 victory vs. Troy. He made his third straight start in the come-from-behind 42-38 win vs. No. 14 Texas A&M and made one tackle. He recorded four tackles, including 1.5 for loss with 0.5 sack, in the season-opening 51-7 victory vs. Missouri State. The next week, he made two tackles and had one quarterback hurry in a 52-3 win vs. New Mexico. He recorded two tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one pass breakup in the 38-14 win vs. No. 14 Auburn. He also made two tackles in a 29-24 victory at Ole Miss. He made one tackle in the 31-28 win at Vanderbilt and in the 44-28 victory vs. No. 10 South Carolina. He made three tackles in a 49-7 win vs. Tennessee. He collected two tackles in the 44-17 victory vs. Mississippi State. At No. 1 LSU, he made one solo tackle. He ended his sophomore season with two tackles, including a career-high 2.0 for loss with a career-high 2.0 sacks, in the 29-16 win vs. No. 11 Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
2010: He appeared in six games for the Razorbacks and finished the season with three tackles and one pass breakup. Smith made one tackle in his collegiate debut, Arkansas’ season-opening 44-3 win vs. Tennessee Tech. He also saw action the next week in the Razorbacks’ 31-7 win vs. ULM. He made one tackle in the 24-17 win vs. Texas A&M. He also saw action in the Razorbacks’ 41-20 victory at No. 18 South Carolina and in their 49-14 win vs. Vanderbilt. He recorded one tackle and one pass breakup in UA’s 58-21 victory vs. UTEP.
HIGH SCHOOL: Smith was considered one of the best defensive recruits in the state of North Carolina, helping West Rowan High School to back-to-back state titles and a 30-game winning streak. As a senior, he earned Associated Press all-state honors for the second straight year. Heading into the playoffs that season, he had collected 98 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 36 QB hurries, 11 pass breakups, four tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and one recovered fumble. In 2009, he helped his team to a 16-0 record and a Class 3A state championship earning MVP honors in the title game. He followed that up by being named the defensive MVP for the North Carolina team in the North Carolina-South Carolina all-star game and was invited to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl he had seven tackles and one sack. As a junior in 2008, Smith tallied 117 tackles, 25 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and 44 QB hurries. In addition to repeating as all-conference and all-county selections, he was named to the Associated Press All-State Team. With Smith’s help on defense, West Rowan went 15-1 and defeated West Craven in the NCHSAA 3A State Championship. Over his last two seasons, Smith amassed more than 200 tackles and 48 sacks. Smith was ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com. He was coached in high school by Scott Young. He was also recruited by Arizona, Clemson, East Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Penn State, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
PERSONAL: Born Feb. 11, 1992, he is the son of William and Sherry Smith. He is enrolled in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
Chris Smith NFL Scouting Report
STRENGTHS
Long arms. Very good take-off, burst and closing speed. Wins with quickness and effort. Plays hard with good urgency and runs to the ball. Good finishing speed and hustle in backside pursuit. Gradually improving strength. Likable personality with natural leadership traits. Has a 37-inch vertical jump.
WEAKNESSES
Lacks functional playing strength and can be controlled easily when big-bodied blockers get their hands on him (see Alabama). Struggles to split the double team. Not a nuanced pass rusher — reliant on upfield speed too much. Can do a better job diagnosing the run more quickly and shedding blocks.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Rounds 3-4
BOTTOM LINE
A weakside pass rusher who could most ideally project to the rush linebacker position in the pros for a 3-4 front, Smith graded more highly as a junior than he did as a senior, yet possesses the tools to earn a starting job in the pros in multiple schemes. Versatility is a plus.
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