Washington State cornerback Chau Smith-Wade is a competitive defensive backfield prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. Smith-Wade played great football over the previous two seasons, totaling 79 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and six takeaways. Smith-Wade then continued to display his next-level potential at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
Smith-Wade recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about what he proved to scouts and decision-makers at those pre-draft events, playing man and zone coverage, and more.
JM: I’ve really enjoyed watching your tape over the previous two seasons. How do you think you’ve grown as a player?
Chau-Smith Wade: Kudos to Washington State and the coaching staff for establishing a culture of toughness. They added a lot of mental toughness to my game. [Head] Coach [Jake] Dickert is somebody who preaches the mental aspect over everything else.
The game is obviously physical as well, but our staff installed a lot of mental traits into my mind. It made me look at a whole lot of things in a different light. Kudos to Washington State and the staff for doing that.
I’d also have to mention the maturity I went through physically in addition to the mental side. Strength and conditioning coach Ben Iannacchione is a guy who came to the program from LSU. He put a lot of weight and speed on me. He added an element of explosiveness to my game. Maturing physically played a big role in my recent success as well.
It was amazing for me. It’s off the charts now. Adding those elements to my game came first and foremost. I became a better student of the game. I watch a lot of tape. That changed my game over these previous two years. I’ve had a lot of different perspectives from coaches like Ray Brown, Jordan Malone, and John Richardson. Those guys added a lot to my game as well.
JM: We love how thorough that breakdown is. We saw the growth on tape. You were so competitive and so much fun to scout at the Senior Bowl. What do you think you proved to NFL scouts throughout those practice sessions?
Chau-Smith Wade: I feel like I proved that I’m very versatile. I entered the Senior Bowl having never played the nickel position a day in my life. Being able to take that challenge head-on was big for me. A lot of NFL scouts wanted to see me compete at nickel. I answered the challenge by proving that I am versatile.
Being a smaller guy, I can play boundary corner and nickel. That was big for me. I was also proud of my temperance. This is a difficult position to play. You’re going to lose some reps, especially at nickel. Anytime that happened, I popped right back up and made a play. I honed in on my playmaking ability.
I also made sure that my strong performances in practice translated over to the actual Senior Bowl game. I had some great interceptions at the Senior Bowl. That’s kudos to the coaching staff that coached me up in Mobile. I put some great things on display out there.
JM: It’s good to hear that NFL scouts have discussed moving you to the nickel spot at the next level. You played a lot of press-man, off-man, and zone coverage at Washington State. You guys mixed it up defensively. What’s your preference?
Chau-Smith Wade: I love playing man coverage. I’m a competitor. When you’re playing zone coverage though, you get your eyes on the quarterback. It allows you to process different concepts. You can jump those routes in zone.
Zone would have to be one of my favorite coverages to play. With my overall competitiveness though, I love playing on that island in man coverage as well.
JM: What was your overall experience like at the NFL Combine?
Chau Smith-Wade: My overall experience was great. It was a dream come true to compete alongside the best of the best. Taking what I’ve already done on tape and adding athletic times to it, it was definitely a lot of fun to be in that spotlight. Less than 1% of NCAA athletes get invited to the combine.
It was amazing. I enjoyed having so many interviews with NFL teams. I put my character on display for them. That was a big opportunity for me. My overall experience was a very positive one.
JM: With the NFL Combine now in our rearview mirror, do you have any Top 30 visits coming up?
Chau-Smith Wade: I’ve been doing a lot of virtual meetings. I have in-person visits coming up with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. We’re also in the process of setting up meetings with a few other organizations. We’re just waiting for those details to be solidified. I also had formal interviews at the NFL Combine with the 49ers and Buccaneers. I met with all 32 teams at the Senior Bowl as well.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We’ve appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is Chau Smith-Wade going to make at the next level?
Chau-Smith Wade: I want to immediately establish myself on special teams. That might come first and foremost. Years from now, I also want to establish that I was the best cornerback, the most versatile defensive back in the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s what I’m hoping to put on display at the next level.
