Derron

Smith

Smith has bounced around but has never played an NFL down. The AAF tackling machine will have to fight for a spot on a practice squad.

They also signed CB Duke Thomas. Both played for the San Antonio Commanders of the now-defunct AAF. A sixth-round pick of the Bengals in 2015, Smith was out of the league last season after splitting 2017 between Cleveland and Cincinnati. Thomas has spent time on various practice squads but has never played an NFL down. He and Smith were the Commanders’ leading tacklers before the league disbanded earlier this week.

Smith (5'10/200) was a ballhawk in the Bulldogs’ secondary, piling up 15 career INTs and earning first-team All-Mountain West as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He missed the Combine due to sports hernia surgery, but was healthy for the Fresno State Pro Day, running 4.61 with a 34-inch vertical and 10-foot-3 broad jump. Smith lacks upper-echelon athletic tools, but flashed man-cover skills in the slot and can function at either safety position. He projects as an early-career NFL starter if asked to play that role.