Tim Smith, IDL, Alabama
Size:
Height: 6043
Weight: 302
Arm: 33”
Hand: 10 ⅜”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Tim Smith is a physically disruptive defensive tackle who makes a living setting teammates up for making plays in the backfield by displacing linemen backward.”
Strengths:
Point-of-attack power
Pad level
Anchor
Hand location and extension
Concerns:
Pass-rush timing
Backfield penetration
Disengage speed
Film Analysis:
Tim Smith chose Alabama over Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and Miami as a four-star recruit out of Sebastian River High School. He recorded 62 tackles with 32 for loss and 10 sacks as a senior before committing to the Crimson Tide for the 2020 season. He’s been a staple in Alabama’s defense for the last five years, playing in 63 total games with 32 starts, starting all 13 games in his senior season.
During his career, he’s tallied 124 tackles (49 solo), 15 tackles for loss, six and a half sacks, two passes defensed, and three fumble recoveries. On top of his experience, he’s been an iron man for the Crimson Tide defense, proving his durability for five seasons.
Smith is an imposing tackle, coming in over 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds with 33-inch arms and power in his hands to displace offensive linemen. His pads can come up high every now and then, but he plays with good overall pad level and leverage in the run game. His first step can be explosive and often directly at opposing linemen, who he hits with force and location from his hands. He can shock blockers with his raw power and quickly put them on their heels and into the backfield, forcing the ball-carrier to go around or allowing other defenders easy access. He flashes lateral quickness to get into different gaps but doesn’t consistently shoot gaps and get into the backfield freely. He’s a gap-sound run defender with a natural anchor and a good kickstand technique to fight double teams.
He’s flashed the ability to shed doubles with torque and become an obstacle for the ball carrier in space, but most times, he’s better at taking up the blocks and keeping his second-level defenders clean. He uses his length well when stacking and shedding one-on-one matchups and can quickly locate the football to make snap decisions.
He’s a sound tackler with strong arms and hands that don’t allow ball-carriers to escape often, with only two missed tackles over the last two seasons. While his timing with pass-rush moves needs work, he’s not afraid to throw some moves at a wall and see what sticks. He has a defensive-end background from high school, but his experience is still limited as a pass rusher. Working better with his hands, sequencing, and timing moves will improve his overall impact, and using that to “half-man” pass rush should yield more results. The production numbers don’t match his impact on the field, taking up blocks, getting pressure, and allowing others to reap the rewards with the havoc he can cause.
Smith is an intriguing athlete at his size and a versatile defensive tackle with experience across a defensive line. He’s scheme-multiple, and while his impact against the run will be how he gets on the field to start, there’s a real upside to being more than that.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: LSU (2024), Michigan (2024), South Carolina (2024), Tennessee (2024)
