"Best nose in this class flashes initial quickness, mobility and a hefty motor. The rub is that he was rarely a playmaker and regularly struggled to finish."
Strengths:
Interior plugger with initial quickness and mobility. Anchors effectively and can absorb double teams. Gets off the ball quickly and gets into the opponent with heavy hands.
Has some range when he's fueled up and flashes ability to chase. Good motor.
Weaknesses:
Plateaus after initial surge and struggles to finish. Sometimes shows a business decision motor. TFL's and sacks are as dry as the Sahara. High probability of being a two down only guy.
Overall:
Smith's arguably the best pure Nose in this class. He's a stout wide body with a decently quick burst off the ball. When he locks in he can be stubborn as hell to root out of the hole. He's active with his hands and flashes ability to get free with haste and find the ball.
If there's drawbacks, it's that he rarely finishes as well as he starts and appears to hit the proverbial wall in the midst of the play. He wasn't much of a playmaker at Michigan but the tools suggest he could reach higher up the ceiling as a pro.