Andre Smith OL 6'4 325 Alabama Jr. 5.32

Smith was one of the top five high school recruits three years ago, and immediately paid dividends for the Crimson Tide. He became just the seventh true freshman to start a season opener for the program, and has started every game since then at left tackle. Smith had a junior season players dream about. He won the Outland Trophy, earned All SEC honors, and was a unanimous All American.

Strengths

Smith is a lineman that has the ability to dominate on every snap. He is a good natural athlete, and is light on his feet for a lineman that could tip the scales at 350lbs after dinner. Smith sets up well in pass protection and does a good job shuffling his feet laterally to keep the defender at bay. He is very powerful at the point of attack and can simply man handle college lineman, opening up a lot of running room on his side of the field. Smith has the natural athleticism and strength to play any spot on the offensive line, outside of the center position.

Weaknesses

There have always been size concerns with Smith. He is a bit short for a top tier tackle, but more importantly his weight is a pressing issue. He has done a good job showing up at 325 at his pro day, but there are still concerns. He does has a soft build and must get into better shape. His maturity and work ethic are in question because he admitted at the combine that he didn’t work out enough to prepare, so he went home early and did not work out.

Future

Andre Smith had a tremendous junior campaign that had him being mentioned as a candidate for the top spot overall in the draft. Since the regular season, it has all been downhill. He was suspended for the Sugar Bowl for dealings with an agent. Then he did not work out at the combine, going as far as admitting he was not prepared to work out. On top of that, he left the facilities without notifying anyone. To his credit, Smith did have a respectable pro day where he tested well in lineman drills but he still is not a finished product. His entire future will come down to how badly he wants it. He has the natural gifts to be a pro bowl tackle or guard, but must get into better shape to maximize his talents. He is a borderline top ten talent that has slipped to the third best lineman at best since the post season began.