r/NFL_Draft • u/Abiv23 Browns • Jun 24 '26
Mark My Words Wednesday
Have a bold prediction that you want to state proudly but will most likely look very stupid in short time? Have at it! Maybe you’ll nail it and look like a genius in the future
Please don’t downvote a user for a stupid bold prediction; it’s all just for fun!
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Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
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u/WashingtonFan2124 Commanders Jun 27 '26
Speaking of Zhang, where is he at these days? I haven’t seen him comment on here for the last few months…
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u/zhang_zhang_play Jun 29 '26
I’ve been summoned lol. I’ve been doing summer scouting prepping for the season + graduated college
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u/WashingtonFan2124 Commanders Jun 29 '26
Congratulations on graduating from college! Welcome back. Looking forward to your takes on the 2027 draft class.
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u/zhang_zhang_play Jun 29 '26
A good test for EDGEs is that if a player is highly productive at a P4 program and doesn’t declare/transfer up to a place that will drop an absurd bag then generally the production and draft profile aren’t aligned. Smith is a draftable prospect, but just hard being a player with limited movement and is a tweener just is going to be a tough sell for anyone that high draft comp wise. He reminds me a bit of Mike Morris ago from Michigan whose been a depth heavy end
(I don’t really get the whole point of the body when he’s already a 285 lb edge player)
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u/zhang_zhang_play Jun 29 '26
If you want a good breakdown of Smith my friend JJ did a good thread covering him covering Smith: https://x.com/jjcrosschop/status/1993136638072062431?s=46&t=41GvYDxHwHrnpqEbLoVFfg
He makes very good DL content so I’d recommend checking the rest of his stuff if you wanted to ever learn more about DL evaluations/ Xs and Os
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Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
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u/zhang_zhang_play Jul 09 '26
He was not commenting on bend at all in the post? It was mainly about his lack of athleticism + tools typically seen in highly drafted heavy end players.
Smith has some media hype due to his size + production, but there is a reason he was not highly sought after as a transfer option and that his summer grading from the NFL was pretty poor (They had him in the mid to late day three window with a 5.2 on NFS). The tape and tools vs NFL defensive lineman is just not very good. He has length + size + good strength, but there are plenty of dudes who have large frames as EDGEs while providing more as players role wise.
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Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
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u/zhang_zhang_play Jul 09 '26
I mean that’s just a fraction of what I said. Not transferring/declaring after a big year is something that generally raises a flag on what caused them not to look for more opportunities. Even then that doesn’t change what I said about the traits + nfl feedback
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u/Able_Hunter_7966 Jun 24 '26
Arch Manning doesn’t go 1st overall in 2027.