Nolan Smith, EDGE Georgia: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Smith was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2019

Nolan Smith was a top high school recruit when he arrived at Georgia. The rising senior is one of the most physically gifted edge rushers in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Smith has high upside as a run defender but still needs to fill out his profile as a pass rusher to enter the first round discussion.

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Nolan Smith, EDGE Georgia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior outside linebacker from Savannah, Ga.

Background: Smith was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 1 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 2 for Rivals, and No. 1 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 2nd in the nation with a 92 grade out of 100. Smith transferred to IMG Academy after two seasons at Calvary Day in Georgia. As a high school senior, he tallied 47 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14.5 tackles for a loss. As a junior, Smith amassed 41 tackles, four sacks, ten tackles for loss, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and a blocked punt. In his sophomore year at Calvary Day, the Georgia native totaled 75 tackles, 27 quarterback hurries, 12 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. Smith also played running back that season, leading Calvary Day with 712 rushing yards. He scored 12 total touchdowns.

2021 Production: 14 games, 53 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 28 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 10 games, 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 18 pressures, 2.5 sacks

2019 Production: 14 games, 18 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 19 pressures, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed one game in 2021 with an elbow injury

Awards: 2019 Georgia Bulldogs Defensive Newcomer of the Year Co-Winner

Pros: Missed tackles are rare, began taking more snaps in coverage in 2021, has the agility and physical upside to improve in coverage, special teams experience on kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units, motor runs hot, excellent athlete who is an asset in pursuit, terrific closing burst, athletic upside to make plays as a backside defender on run plays, physical challenging pulling guards and tight ends in the running game to set the edge, speed and agility to redirect and make plays in pursuit, no clear tightness to limit his bend, well-built but lean frame, plays with leverage, long arms promise upside as he develops as a pass rusher, explosive get-off, flashes of splitting linemen to reach the backfield, surprising ability to anchor against the run despite a lighter frame

Cons: Limited alignment versatility, lacks experience and awareness in coverage, routinely takes more than three seconds to reach the quarterback, gets stuck on blocks too often mitigating his impact on the play, would benefit from adding another 10 lbs. to his frame, doesn’t consistently time the snap well, lacks diverse set of pass rush moves and counters, still relies heavily on his athletic traits over refined techniques, hands don’t consistently pack a pop or work to generate separation as a pass rusher, most of his sacks come on high effort plays that demonstrate no clear pass rush plan

Overview: Smith is unofficially listed at 6'3", 235 lbs. He applied pressure on roughly 21.9% of his pass rush attempts in 2020 and 10.9% in 2021. It’s easy to see why some scouting services considered him the nation’s top recruit in 2019. Smith is a freakishly fluid athlete who shows no signs of stiffness in his body. He bends well off the edge, redirects in short space without hesitation, and displays excellent linear burst. Smith is an asset in run defense. His athleticism makes him a high-level defender in pursuit, but the rising senior also displays the power, strength, and leverage to set hard edges and turn ball carriers back inside. Smith is inexperienced in coverage, but his agility and active defensive style suggest he’ll quickly improve in this area. Unfortunately, Smith is still very raw as a pass rusher. He lacks a developed arsenal of moves and counters, which means he often relies on ramming into linemen and hopelessly attempting to bull rush them. There are moments of Smith converting his explosive but inconsistent first step into bend off the edge, but those instances are infrequent. Many of the Georgia native’s sacks are the result of his hot motor and relentless pursuit rather than polished hand usage and pass rush moves.

Overall, Smith is an exceptional athlete with immense upside, but he’s failed to develop as a pass rusher over his three years with the Bulldogs. Smith’s athletic traits and run defense make the third round his floor. A creative defensive coach might experiment with Smith as a blitzing inside linebacker, but he’s best suited as an outside linebacker or designated pass rusher in a 3-4 scheme.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a two-point stance in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Mid Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-20-22