2020 NFL Draft: Devonta Smith would be smart to stay at Alabama

Devonta Smith is leaning towards staying in school ahead of declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, according to a report, in what would be a smart move.

It has long been assumed that three premier Alabama receivers would be entering the 2020 NFL  Draft. However, there is now talk Devonta Smith will not be joining teammates Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III in the pros.

According to Chris Breece of CBS42 in Birmingham, Smith is leaning towards returning to Alabama for his senior year with the Crimson Tide.

On the surface, it would appear to be a bizarre move by Smith, whose junior year has been the best of his career so far. Going into Alabama’s bowl game, Smith has 65 receptions for 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns.

It is going to be extremely difficult for Smith to top that should he head back to Tuscaloosa in 2020, and playing another year of college football carries a significant risk for a player who would not be compensated were he to suffer a serious injury.

Smith has put enough on tape to suggest he can be a very productive receiver at the next level. His speed and intelligence as a route-runner make him a consistent big-play threat, as he 17.9 yards per catch average indicates.

Indeed, Smith is just as talented of a prospect as Jeudy and Ruggs, but the consensus seems to be they will each be taken above him should all three enter the draft.

When a class is as deep as the 2020 pool of wide receivers looks to be, it is inevitable some players get lost in the shuffle. Smith would be in danger of suffering that fate in 2020 and, by heading back for one final year at Alabama, he would have the chance to separate himself in the 2021 class.

The odds of Smith being the first receiver off the board in 2020 are remote. If he goes back to school and replicates his 2019 campaign, he could very well by WR1 by the time the 2021 draft takes place. Staying at Alabama would be an astute move by one of the most underrated players in the class.