Watch: DeVonta Smith surprises with routes at Alabama Pro Day

Former Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith had planned to not workout during the Tide’s pro day, but ultimately changed his mind.

This story originally appeared on Dolphins Wire.

The Miami Dolphins have been tied to a slew of offensive draft prospects over the course of the past few months as the team gears up to make some critical decisions in the 2021 NFL Draft. It is one of the worst kept secrets in football: the Miami Dolphins need help with their pass catchers. And with Tua Tagovailoa serving as the team’s quarterback, it only makes sense that plenty of rumors around the team will be tied to the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama WR DeVonta Smith.

But Smith’s pre-draft process has been bogged down with worries about his size and stature. He attended the 2021 Senior Bowl but did not participate due to a finger injury suffered against Ohio State and eventually opted to skip the event’s weigh-in — a very unusual move that drew plenty of attention to his weight and concerns about how he would handle the physicality of the NFL. And then, last week, Smith did step on the scale. And he weighed 170 pounds on the dot; making him one of the smallest 1st-round wide receiver prospects in recent memory.

But Smith still did not work out; a decision that he appeared to be ready to double down on with a second throwing session from former Crimson Tide QB Mac Jones yesterday, only to call an audible. Smith finally stepped into the pre-draft action, deciding last minute to run some routes and put his abilities on display.

The flashes that followed reminded everyone quickly why Smith is considered a top wide receiver prospect.

“(Smith) came out here and called me this morning and was like, ‘Dude, I got you. Let’s just get a couple routes in.’ So I was like, alright, let’s adjust the script,” recalled Jones in the aftermath of the session. And while many were in attendance in Tuscaloosa to watch Jones spin the ball around the field, they probably left glad to get the added bonus of watching Smith run his first routes since the 1st-half of this past year’s championship game. If that’s enough to help to sell Miami or not at No. 6 overall is unclear — but we’ll have our answer in about four weeks.

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