The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
As it stands right now, the Green Bay Packers have their top four cornerbacks under contract. Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas, and Keisean Nixon give the Packers a solid quartet of cornerbacks.
There have been talks about Douglas moving to safety. What if Stokes fails to replicate the success he had during his rookie season? Nixon was solid when he saw the field, but his one-year deal should not stop the Packers from adding a cornerback to the room.
Even if Douglas moves to safety, the trio of Alexander, Stokes, and Nixon could keep Gutekunst from taking a cornerback early in the 2023 NFL Draft. If Gutekunst opts to wait until day three to add a cornerback, he will have plenty of options to choose from.
A cornerback that Gutekunst could target on day three of the draft is Terell Smith. The Minnesota cornerback checks in at No. 50 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
A four-star recruit out of Georgia, Smith recorded 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and nine pass deflections during his first season on campus. Over the next three seasons, Smith recorded just one interception and four pass deflections. During his final season as a Gopher, Smith recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.
“Terell made major strides this season while earning a large role in Minnesota’s scheme,” Daniel House, the founder of GophersGuru, said. “His physicality, size, length, and speed were apparent while watching him in coverage. He is the type of cornerback you can put on the boundary in man coverage and let his physicality and length take over. Not only that, but he’s skilled at dropping into zone, reading the route concept, and breaking on the ball too. The Gophers also occasionally maximized his downhill burst by sending him off of corner blitzes. All year, Minnesota relied upon Smith and he executed at a high level.”
A track athlete in high school, the first thing that stands out about Smith’s game is his athleticism. He’s a fluid athlete with the speed to make up for any missteps early in coverage. He won the state title in the 100 and 200 meters during his prep track and field career. His 20.84 time in the 200 was the fifth fastest in the country that year. During the East-West Shrine Bowl, he was the fastest defensive player on the field (21.37 miles per hour). At the combine, Smith clocked a 4.41 40-yard dash.
“I would say closing speed, acceleration, and length,” House said. “He has excellent downhill burst and downfield acceleration. You can certainly see his track background while he’s playing the position. Terell ran a personal record of 10.32 100 meters in high school. Smith focused on improving his flexibility in recent seasons, particularly while changing direction and mirroring receivers out of breaks. I saw improvements in this area, but think it’s something he will continue to work on in the NFL.”
Smith is physical at the line of scrimmage and does a good job of rerouting wide receivers. He’s not shy about using his length and physicality to disrupt at the top of the stem. In zone coverage, he has shown improved route recognition and quickly breaks on the ball. He has the long speed to run stride for stride with wide receivers downfield. He has the footwork and fluidity to stick in a wide receiver’s hip pocket.
“He’s become particularly good at learning and locating vertical routes,” House said. “He transitioned from backpedaling to swiveling his hips, accelerated downfield, and then compressed space by leaning and locating deep balls. As a true freshman, he wasn’t as consistent in this area. Minnesota’s coaches emphasized all of the techniques and Smith made huge strides by the end of his career. I also like how he can drop into zone and instinctively break on the football. He showcases quick-twitch athleticism and then uses his length to disrupt passing lanes. Smith doesn’t give wide receivers much room to work because of his length, physicality, and downfield acceleration. In recent years, he’s become even more physical, which has been huge for his overall game.”
A high school wide receiver, Smith had minimal ball production during his time as a Gopher. He recorded four interceptions and 16 pass deflections.
“Smith disrupted passing lanes because of his length, but didn’t close on plays as much,” House said. “I always say, just because a defensive back isn’t making plays on the ball, doesn’t mean they’re not executing their role in the scheme and impacting the game. Receivers had trouble getting position or separation because he tightly mirrored and matched in coverage. The flexibility component occasionally comes into play though. Sometimes when he’s tasked with turning in mid-air and adjusting, ball location and the timing of his jump are just slightly off.”
In run support, Smith uses his burst to quickly fly downhill. He quickly gets his man to the ground when the ball arrives to limit any YAC. According to PFF, Smith was flagged with just six missed tackles this season, with four of them coming back-to-back weeks in early October.
“He showed adequate tackling ability when he was tasked with doing so,” House said. “I wouldn’t say he was tested much in this area, however, when needed, he certainly got downhill and wrapped up. I particularly noticed his tackling skills when he was reacting to screens or blitzing downhill. In general, Smith’s physicality increased over the course of his career with the Gophers.”
Fit with the Packers
Bet on the traits. Smith’s technique in coverage started to catch up to his athleticism this past season. Smith has excellent straight-line speed and has the fluidity to develop into a lockdown cornerback.
As it stands right now, the Packers have seven picks on day three of the draft. It would not be shocking to see Gutekunst use one of those picks on the athletic cornerback as he looks to bolster the depth at cornerback.
“If your team is looking for a cornerback with excellent length, physicality, and speed, Terell Smith is your guy,” House said. “He is scheme-versatile and can play in man or zone systems. Smith improved his technique each year and was well-coached in a defensive system that has produced numerous NFL defensive back talents in recent years. He is responsive to coaching, puts in the work, and has a great personality. All of those things will serve him well in the league.”
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