Over the next two weeks, DallasCowboys.com dives deeper into the talented group of undrafted rookies that are expected to battle for a roster spot this offseason. Today, we profile one of the four receivers added after the draft.
- Name: Brandon Smith
- Position: Wide Receiver
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 218
- School: Iowa (Big Ten)
The Good: Smith was the secondary target for the Hawkeyes behind recent Vikings' draft pick Ihmir Smith-Marsette. He reeled in at least 23 passes and finished with at least 231 yards and a couple of scores in each of his last three seasons. His short-area quickness and leaping ability made him a threat outside the hashmarks in the screen game as well as in the Red Zone where he really made a living as a junior. He'll never really get to be a deep threat in the NFL but for a team that is looking to get the ball out of their quarterbacks' hands quickly and keep it underneath the defense, Smith fits the bill.
The Project: Outside of some injury issues, where he missed a game in 2018 and four games in 2019, Smith struggled to hold on to the football throughout his career and that was when he was open enough to get the ball thrown his direction. His separation is minimal at the line of scrimmage and the majority of his success came when he was targeted underneath his defender rather than behind the defense. Then when he was open enough to receive a target, it was not uncommon to see a dropped or fumbled football when contact quickly followed.
The Summary: Despite setting Mississippi high school records in career receptions (206), receiving yards (3,672), and touchdowns (41), Smith received only a three-star grade and two Power 5 offers after his prep career came to a close. He mostly saw the field in spot duty during his freshman season before moving into the starting lineup for his longest season in 2018. Arguably his best chance at a big season was derailed by that right knee injury as a junior after he tallied five touchdowns and close to 439 yards. There's a long way to go for him to be considered for a roster spot, but he's always proven to be productive while healthy.
