Jaylin Smith, CB, USC
Size:
Height: 5104
Weight: 187
Arm: 29 ⅞”
Hand: 9 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Jaylin Smith is a twitchy and physical cornerback whose fluid movements underneath take away quick passing lanes and get him involved in the run game.”
Strengths:
Release mirroring
Willingness against the run
Football IQ
Versatility
Concerns:
Size for the boundary
Downfield speed
Catch-point ball skills
Film Analysis:
Jaylin Smith made the 2020 PrepStar All-American as a senior cornerback, wide receiver, and running back at Bishop Alemany High in Mission Hills. He missed out on football in his senior year due to COVID-19, but as a 2019 junior, he had 60 tackles (4 for loss) and two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and added ten catches for 211 yards with two touchdowns to go with 159 yards on 14 carries with two more touchdowns. Smith has played all four college football seasons at USC and every position possible in the secondary before finally landing and sticking at cornerback his senior season. He registered 59 tackles, four for loss, with two interceptions and two passes defended.
While he may be undersized for playmaking on the boundary at the next level, Smith doesn’t let it show in his style. He’s a coverage-diverse player who likes to mix it up at the line of scrimmage with well-timed strikes and patience, trusting his twitchy lower half to turn and run at any moment. He doesn’t over-pursue crafty release packages and always appears calm at the line of scrimmage. He breaks on underneath routes quickly with quick recognition and good click-and-close ability; his experience as a safety shows up in off-coverage and run support. He’s willing to mix it up in the run game and does well to square up ball-carriers in space to make tackles, but his length and size create arm tackles that are easily broken. He has good hip movement to change direction in his backpedal, in pursuit, and move with routes underneath.
Bigger receivers will trouble him through the route stem with physicality and length, even with his mentality. He doesn’t possess the strength to impact those receivers at the catch point or the length to frequently create ball production. He’s prone to double moves and speed down the field and is better suited to play nickel corner or safety in the NFL, but the willingness to be physical and do what’s asked of him shows up in every phase. He closes on receivers quickly and has good burst to prevent yards after the catch when targeted. His versatility also extends to being a blitzer; even if he doesn’t get home frequently, he does a good job of showing coverage and quickly blitzing with the element of surprise.
Smith projects as a nickel cornerback/safety hybrid in the NFL with his short-area quickness, football IQ, and willingness to support in the run game. His experience as an outside corner will be an asset in case of injury, but his size will limit his impact down the field against bigger receivers.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Penn State (2024), Notre Dame (2024), Maryland (2024), Nebraska (2024)
