South Carolina Corner Cam Smith Scares Former NFL Scout

There is one word associated with South Carolina’s cornerback Cam Smith, that no prospect wants to be attached to their name.

Inconsistent.

Does Smith have a high-level skill set?

Absolutely. It showed up on his 2021 game film in the article, “South Carolina Corner Cam Smith Shows First Round Skill Set.”

However, I walked away even back then not completely sold.

How was Smith on game film in 2022?

Awful in two games, and awesome (like a different player) against Texas A&M.

That’s super concerning to me.

I encourage any NFL team who is considering selecting Smith to take a few minutes and watch him in the Arkansas and Kentucky games embedded below.

There’s also the fact, he wasn’t on the field full-time in these three games listed, as South Carolina subbed him in and out.

Why wasn’t he on the field all the time as a starter?

According to reports Smith was also dealing with injuries to further compound things. He left the Tennessee and Arkansas games early and missed the Georgia game due to dealing with injuries.

-inconsistent performances

-not on the field full-time when he was in the lineup

-missing time with injuries

These are three major concerns.

Especially considering what happened in 2021

This isn’t the first season Smith went Jekyll and Hyde either.

In 2021, he looked great against Vanderbilt and Clemson, but he looked bad against Georgia. He got torched on a deep pass too.

Smith’s whole mindset looked different in that Georgia game. He wasn’t nearly as aggressive and he didn’t play with the same level of confidence. Not even close.

Why are refs throwing so many penalty flags on Smith?

Smith has a reputation for being “handsy” and it’s spray painted all over his game film. Against the Aggies’ Smith made what appeared to be two really nice defensive plays, but was called for defensive holding both times.

I ran across an October 24 article by 247Sports that stated South Carolina’s defense as a whole had been flagged 15 times (pass interference and defensive holding) at that point of the season, and 6 of those were on Smith.

Drop-off in production too…

Another factor is the decline in Smith’s stat line across the boards this past season compared to 2021.

Every bit of information in the evaluation process is like a puzzle piece and helps to be able to see the big picture of a prospect.

Potential

It’s the most dangerous word in scouting, and surely Smith will be looking his best at the NFL Scouting Combine and on his pro day.

Smith has all the tools to shine in gym shorts, and undoubtedly some team will take the bait.

However, I keep going back to the game film — the game film – – the game film.

The clues are on the game film.

Two straight seasons of inconsistencies on game film aren’t a “one-off,” it’s a pattern, and it’s the job of a scout to be able to identify patterns.

🚩What we have here with Smith is a boatload of talent surrounded by red flags. These stories don’t tend to end well in the NFL. I encourage teams to hedge their bets🚩

#9 Cam Smith 6-foot-0, 188 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Second-Round (I would not select him)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Bust probability: High

Projected by 79.1% (up from 63.5% on October 12) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of February 22, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Arkansas, Kentucky, and Texas A&M (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2021 stats: 41 tackles (31 solo, 10 assists), 11 passes defended, 3 INT, 1 forced fumble

2022 stats: 27 tackles (23 solo, 4 assists), 5 passes defended, 1 INT.

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Inconsistent lanky cover corner with long arms, good straight-line speed and short-area burst. Lined up in off or press-man coverage. Able to flip hips and stay in phase vertically. Showed he could match changes of direction, but often used hands to dance when changing direction with receivers. Occasionally displayed ability to break on passes or get arms in the way to defend. At other times ended up trailing on routes when the ball wasn’t thrown his direction. Super reluctant in support in general. More of a hitter. Bad tackling technique. Can miss. Not a dependable tackler.

Final words

A hot and cold prospect who doesn’t move the meter.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.