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!!
Originally Posted by staylor26:
Humphrey has now been the starter for 10 straight OTA practices.
It’s not “reading into things a little too hard” to suggest he’s likely your starter at C. Blythe got backup money and has been referred to as “depth”. He didn’t even get first crack at RG.
Or, they are giving him snaps now because he won't get them in TC. It's not cut and dry man. You should know this, we've definitely seen it plenty before.
I said I'd pull for it in my original post, because both Smith and Humphrey have significantly more upside than Blythe or LDT. That doesn't mean I'm going to pretend the writing is on the wall though, because it rarely is. That, and Reid definitely prefers him his veterans on the OL. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Or, they are giving him snaps now because he won't get them in TC. It's not cut and dry man. You should know this, we've definitely seen it plenty before.
I said I'd pull for it in my original post, because both Smith and Humphrey have significantly more upside than Blythe or LDT. That doesn't mean I'm going to pretend the writing is on the wall though, because it rarely is. That, and Reid definitely prefers him his veterans on the OL.
Which is exactly why it means something when Humphrey gets the start from day 1 of OTA’s and for 10 straight practices.
He clearly feels comfortable doing it at C for whatever reason too. He did the same thing with Morse and never looked back. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Or, they are giving him snaps now because he won't get them in TC. It's not cut and dry man. You should know this, we've definitely seen it plenty before.
I said I'd pull for it in my original post, because both Smith and Humphrey have significantly more upside than Blythe or LDT. That doesn't mean I'm going to pretend the writing is on the wall though, because it rarely is. That, and Reid definitely prefers him his veterans on the OL.
LDT has been away for a year. Even though he has been up in the Great White North lifting kegs of maple syrup on his back porch to stay in shape- we really don't know what we even have in him any longer.
Meanwhile, Smith has been here learning and working. Food for thought. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
No, some of us don't act like it's our first rodeo though.
Blythe has been a starter at RG and C in this league for 3 consecutive years. That is he started 47 of 47 games. The only one he didn't play or start in was a giveaway game in 2019. The Chiefs didn't sign him "just because." He's going to have a leg up as a starter come training camp, and if the rookies beat him they beat him. Right now though, you guys are reading into things a little too ****ing hard.
Starting olinemen always sign for league min..He is depth and that's it. I'll wager anything you like he won't be the opening day starter. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Halfcan:
LDT has been away for a year. Even though he has been up in the Great White North lifting kegs of maple syrup on his back porch to stay in shape- we really don't know what we even have in him any longer.
Meanwhile, Smith has been here learning and working. Food for thought. :-)
LDT or Smith is the guy. The Blythe stuff is comical. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy:
Starting olinemen always sign for league min..He is depth and that's it. I'll wager anything you like he won't be the opening day starter.
Do you think if LDT was a free agent he would sign for more than Blythe did? [Reply]
Originally Posted by -King-:
Based on what Rams fans said of his play at RG, his ceiling there has been higher than LDTs. So why wouldn't he be in play?
He might be “in play”, but it’s telling that Smith is getting the first crack at RG with Long’s injury and LDT’s absence. [Reply]
Originally Posted by staylor26:
He might be “in play”, but it’s telling that Smith is getting the first crack at RG with Long’s injury and LDT’s absence.
Originally Posted by staylor26:
He might be “in play”, but it’s telling that Smith is getting the first crack at RG with Long’s injury and LDT’s absence.
At this point I think Blythe and Remmers may be here to just make sure starting jobs aren't handed to rookies so they have to "earn it". [Reply]
Originally Posted by Halfcan:
It would really make this draft something special to fill 2 O line spots with Creed and Trey for the next 10 years.
We are going to have Brown Jr, Thuney, Humphrey and Smith for at least the next 3 years and it’s going to be awesome. I’m really confident all 4 will be really good.
I like Niang but he’s a bit of a wild card to me [Reply]
