Originally Posted by :
Henry Louis "Trey" Smith III has gone through much adversity since high school but continues to battle. His mother, Dorsetta, passed away from congestive heart failure when he was at the University School at Jackson in Tennessee. While there, he excelled on the gridiron, winning the Mr. Football Award twice and garnering a first-team All-American and top-10 overall recruit rating nationally. The Volunteers kept him in-state, and he received second-team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, and SEC All-Freshman recognition as a 12-game starter (eight at right guard, four at left tackle). After the season, however, he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. Smith fought through that malady to return for the 2018 campaign but had to stop after seven starts at left tackle as doctors believed the clots had returned. However, additional study of those test results showed that doctors might have actually seen scar tissue from the previous clots. Smith worked hard in the offseason, losing 40 pounds, and he garnered 2019 first-team All-SEC honors after moving inside to left guard, where he started 12 of 13 games played. He was a first-team all-conference selection again in 2020, starting all 11 games at left guard for the Volunteers. He received the Jason Witten Award for leadership on the field and community service off the field, as well as the Fritz Pollard Trophy for extraordinary courage and community values. He accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. -- by Chad Reuter
Overview
When putting together a guard built for an NFL power-based scheme, the blueprint would probably look like Smith. He's big, wide, strong, long and will flash an aggressive streak when he gets geared up. The lack of body control and technique he put on tape suggests it may be difficult for him to overcome his limited athleticism. An offseason of fundamentals work should help Smith become more efficient into first contact, which will really unlock his power at the point of attack. He's been one of the more talked about guard prospects over the last few years but might be in for a bumpy beginning as he adjusts to the athletes and technicians he will face as a pro. Strengths
Elite size and length for the position.
Frame is broad and thick.
Very heavy-handed with plus upper-body strength.
Able to throw a sack of bricks at opponent when he punches.
Has physical potential to become dominant with better technique.
Drive power to turn base blocks out of the gap.
Can bang and cave his down-blocks.
Knock-back pop on both first and second levels.
Good job of finding targets on his short pulls.
Sets a very firm anchor against bull rushers.
Has faced off against a variety of current pro defenders during career.
Weaknesses
Lack of range shows up in run game and pass sets.
Long first step, causing him to overshoot his landmark and lose positioning.
Needs better footwork and hand clinch for improved sustain.
Will cheat secure block to save time getting up to linebacker on combos.
Plays with hitch and outside hands with pass punch.
Below-average body control and recovery potential.
Loses balance and positioning against rush counters.
Struggles to redirect weight after biting on fakes in pass pro.
Slide quickness to cut off the gaps is a concern.
Has dealt with blood clotting issues.
Sources Tell Us
"I guess you don't like big, aggressive guards, Lance? I know he has things to work on, but they can be coached up. The (history of blood clots) is a much bigger issue than anything on tape for me." -- Personnel executive for NFC team
I’m so happy for @TreySmith73 going to the @chiefs. Finally. Chiefs Kingdom got an awesome player and fantastic human!!
David Ubben on what the Chiefs are getting: Smith became the first true freshman to start at left tackle for Tennessee in more than three decades, but doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs following the 2017 season. He followed a specialized plan from doctors to get back on the field, though a mistaken reappearance ended his 2018 season midway through the year. He played through the 2019 season and elected to return as a senior for 2020. … Throughout his time in Rocky Top, Smith was a physical and emotional leader for the Vols’ offensive line, growing into one of its most consistent performers and a mentor for his talented younger teammates.
Scouts’ takes from Bob McGinn: “If he can overcome the blood-clot issue, you’ve got yourself a starting right guard who can play on a Pro Bowl level,” said one scout. “The toughness he played with reminded me of Kelechi Osemele. He’s not as long as Kelechi, but that size, that violence and that power reminded me of him.”
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Smith looks the part with excellent base strength and shock absorbers for hands, allowing him to win in a phone booth. However, for a player with his raw power, you expect more displacement, body control and point-of-attack movement than what he put on tape as a senior, too often falling off blocks or simply getting in the way. Overall, Smith has the size and talent to start in the NFL, but the sloppy tendencies and streaky aggressiveness are red flags, and there are potential lung-related health concerns. He projects as a high-risk/high-reward potential starter in a power-based scheme. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
This guy was projected as a late 2nd/early 3rd rd pick without medical worries. What a goddamn steal
true but every team has medical doctors. They also know what everyone in the medical field knows, blood clots are an easy medical fix. So why hasn’t that happened? [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
true but every team has medical doctors. They also know what everyone in the medical field knows, blood clots are an easy medical fix. So why hasn’t that happened?
I am guessing it has, clots were in 18 and he’s played the last two seasons without a problem [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
true but every team has medical doctors. They also know what everyone in the medical field knows, blood clots are an easy medical fix. So why hasn’t that happened?
Scouts are looking for reasons to not give a guy a bag of money and not provide benefit of doubt. [Reply]
Originally Posted by R Clark:
I am guessing it has, clots were in 18 and he’s played the last two seasons without a problem
what? So he’s had no reoccurrence in 2+ years? There has to be something that’s not public knowledge but the NFL knows.
If true, WTF is the NFL doing letting him drop like this? It makes no sense. They are smart people? We are no smarter. No reoccurrence after 2 years, we should have taken him in the 4th at worst. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
Scouts are looking for reasons to not give a guy a bag of money and not provide benefit of doubt.
This is exactly right.
The draft isn't as much about who to draft but who not to draft.
These guys talk themselves out of players all the time, which is why we see so many 4th through 7th rounders and UDFA's have great careers, despite teams passing on them multiple times. [Reply]
If the medical issues do not derail his career and he plays to his potential, this is THE steal of the draft. Those admittedly are two big ‘ifs,’ though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
what? So he’s had no reoccurrence in 2+ years? There has to be something that’s not public knowledge but the NFL knows.
If true, WTF is the NFL doing letting him drop like this? It makes no sense. They are smart people? We are no smarter. No reoccurrence after 2 years, we should have taken him in the 4th at worst.
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
This is exactly right.
The draft isn't as much about who to draft but who not to draft.
These guys talk themselves out of players all the time, which is why we see so many 4th through 7th rounders and UDFA's have great careers, despite teams passing on them multiple times.
Yeah, if there is something that could possibly go wrong, its easy to say, "let's go with the guy that's clean, even if the upside is less."
There is a lot of risk aversion. Dudes are scared of the headlines like, "HOW COULD YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN ABOUT THE BLOOD CLOTS???!!!?!?!" if he misses a game. [Reply]
