2018 NFL Draft: Tre’Quan Smith Scouting Report
By Jon Dove
UCF’s Tre’Quan Smith is a 2018 NFL Draft wide receiver prospect who has flashed big play ability throughout his college career.
Tre’Quan Smith features a long and lean frame that helps him attack the ball at its highest point. He does a good job timing his jumps while also plucking the ball with his hands. Smith could stand to be more physical in contested situations, but that can improve as he adds some bulk.
This is a good athlete who has easy speed. He is a bit of a long strider, but can also get up to full speed in a hurry. Smith shows the ability to outpace defensive backs and stretch the field. However, he’s not going to run by many NFL corners on a consistent basis.
While his overall route-running needs work, Smith has good awareness and can find open spots in the defense. He also uses some savvy in his route running which helps him disguise his route.
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The area of his route running that needs the most work is a squaring off his breaks. He tends to round out as he reaches the top of his route. This was something he got away with in college but will be an issue at the next level.
It’s important to note that UCF’s quarterbacks struggled with ball location for much of the year. There were are lot of situations where Smith was forced to make acrobatic catches and adjust his body.
Smith is an upside prospect who will some time to perfect his craft. However, his size and speed combination gives him a chance to find a spot in the league. The key will be for him to add some more weight and improve his overall route running.