The University of Alabama is such a prospect factory that the school is having not one but two Pro Days this year.
The first one was Monday and it included perhaps the school’s top 2021 draft prospect, wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
He’s a player who’s been linked to the Miami Dolphins for a while, both because of his incredible 2020 season that ended with him winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship and his connection with former Bama teammate Tua Tagovailoa.
Smith said during his pre-draft media session that he would not do any drills at the Alabama Pro Day, but give teams the chance to take his measurements — something he refused when he attended, but did not play in, the Senior Bowl.
Based on what he did last season, Smith certainly doesn’t need to prove anything in terms of his on-field ability.
The only question about Smith, really, concerns his lack of size — he was listed at 6-1, 175 during his time at Alabama. Smith very obviously doesn’t care for the topic and he evaded the question about how much he weighed when first asked, saying it was the same as it was at the Senior Bowl.
When he pressed, he said he weighed 170 pounds.
Even though he didn’t play in the Senior Bowl, Smith got to spend the week working with the Dolphins coaching staff. Asked about that experience Monday, Smith just said he liked the experience of going through a game week NFL style without commenting about Brian Flores and his staff specifically.
Likewise, Smith didn’t directly answer a question about the possibility of being reunited with Tagovailoa with the Dolphins, saying their conversations go beyond football.
In fact, it says here that taking any wide receiver third overall might not be the best way to maximize the value of that pick if the Dolphins don’t end up trading it.
If they do end up moving out of the third spot and moving back, say, to either 8, 9 or 12, then a wide receiver would seem a lot likelier option and Smith then might fit into the picture.
Smith certainly would merit strong consideration if he were to still be available at number 18, which once seemed unthinkable but might become a possibility if NFL teams starting getting nervous about Smith’s potential durability.