Really quick question about Jason Smith

[iStillBelieve]

Did Baylor play with wide offensive line splits last year (like Mizzou) and would that make him look more talented than he really was or affect his transition to the NFL?

[BarronWade]

Did Baylor play with wide offensive line splits last year (like Mizzou) and would that make him look more talented than he really was or affect his transition to the NFL?

Jason Smith played in a shotgun formation. He did not play in a pro style O-Line. What he did was stand up and is not use to the down position. So he wont come in and make an impact right away. So he is basically still learning the position.

[iStillBelieve]

Well in a spread offense where the QB gets rid of the ball quickly, wide splits (if they had them?) where a speed rusher would have no chance, and an extreeeemely mobile QB in Robert Griffin, it seems like he never really had to do any pass blocking in college. And if Monroe is considered a much better run blocker than Smith, what reason is there to draft Smith over Monroe?

[39thebeast]

Missouri takes wide splits to another level, there splits are extremely wide. Baylor played a spread option offense where Smith spent most of his time in the 2 point stance. He also hardly if ever drove block so no one really knows how he will be in the run game. I personally like Monroe he is more pro ready and a better run and pass blocker. He immediately is huge building block on the offense where as Smith isn't, yet

[txramsfan]

He hasn't done very much run blocking if at all at Baylor. He is talented but he sin't going to come in and play immediately I don't think.

Ironically, the best run blocking OT in this draft is the other Smith....Andre.

[iStillBelieve]

He hasn't done very much run blocking if at all at Baylor. He is talented but he sin't going to come in and play immediately I don't think.

Ironically, the best run blocking OT in this draft is the other Smith....Andre.

I don't think that's ironic at all...anybody that's not lying to themselves will admit that Andre is the most talented tackle in the draft. People just see his manboobs and assume he has no shot at playing LT in the NFL, but he is only 15 pounds heavier than Oher, Smith, and Monroe (who IRONICALLY all weigh 309 pounds)...and his footwork is phenomenal.

I think he could be an average to good pass blocker and an unbelievable run blocker in the NFL.

[eldfan]

And if Monroe is considered a much better run blocker than Smith, what reason is there to draft Smith over Monroe?

I agree if the goal is to be a run dominated team and Jason Smith have questions in that area take the other guy. If you pick a player #2 pick he better play right away unless he is a QB.

[A-Web]

You would have to take the better run blocker, and the line splits was something that I admit I had overlooked a little bit.

As for the comment on being the #1 OT (Andre Smith), I propose a question to you,

Does work ethics tie into being a consensus #1 at anything? I believe that if you prepare poorly, and do not put the effort in where it is needed, than there is a problem with you being considered the best. Roll that in with all the other issues tied to his "character" and the fact that he was removed from a college team before the bowl game, and I say, "If he's getting kicked off the college team for doing something he shouldn't, and he's making us all scratch our heads with his combine actions and his not so hot pro-day (draft scouts claimed his workout was the worst workout they had ever seen - ouch) that obviously there are a number of pieces to that man that don't come off in the footage.

I haven't actually seen too much footage of Andre Smith, but the footage I had seen seems to show me more often than anything him just being in the way. I wasn't seeing any push, or pancakes. I had watched a 5 minute film on his blocking, and I honestly was fairly unimpressed. It just looked to me like it was. I fat-arsed fella getting in the way of an undersized fella. And in that case, at that weight, 15 lbs isn't going to matter, so I would take the fat-arsed fella with skills. And based on what I've seen, and the ethics issues that have come up, I can tell you I do not consider Andre Smith in the top 3 OTs at this point in the pre-season.

[smizzhfx]

If we were to take a tackle at 2, I would opt for Eugene Monroe. Played in the same Virginia Cavaliers program as Chris Long and probably the most pro-ready tackle in this draft. In my mind Jason Smith has too many question marks and is too big of a project for the 2nd overall pick. And Andre? I wouldn't touch him in the top 10.