Tyreke

Smith

Smith was drafted by the Seahawks last year but landed on injured reserve before the start of his rookie season. The former fifth-round pick was a part-time player at Ohio State who struggled to stay on the field because of injuries. That has clearly followed him to the majors, though another team will undoubtedly take a shot on him. Seattle signed tight end Brady Russell from their practice squad in a corresponding move.

An accomplished high school basketball player, Smith (6’3/254) played football in his youth but quit because of concussion issues. He was coaxed back onto the field as a high school junior, and the decision paid immediate dividends. Injuries limited Smith’s availability throughout his career, starting just 17-of-41 games. However, he stayed healthy enough this season to log 10 starts, 26 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks, and a forced fumble while being named second-team All-Big Ten. He tested well enough, excelling in the agility drills with a 91st-percentile 4.24 shuttle and 87th-percentile 7.06 three cone, good enough for a 7.15 overall relative athletic score. Smith was productive when he was on the field, posting a respectable 8.5 percent pressure rate in 2021, but he only logged 377 total snaps last year and under 200 in each of his previous three seasons. Smith has the athleticism to hang at the NFL level, but he has major technical flaws that have to be cleaned up if he’s going to make it.

The edge rusher position is one of the deepest in the draft, but there are teams that might miss out on one of the early-round players, but there are still some great ones to grab later on. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso believes Smith (6'3/260) is someone teams should look at on Day 2. He likes his inside game and has a natural bend/dip move that good pass rushers used to get past the pocket. He believes he could be a pass-rush specialist in the NFL.

Smith (6'3/260) won’t be returning to Ohio State as he announced earlier this offseason he was entering the 2022 NFL Draft. He may have just seven sacks on his college career, but he has impressed in other categories. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has more quarterback hits than any other Big Ten defender over the past two seasons (21). That’s worth noting.

Smith (6'3/260) enters the draft with just seven sacks in his career. The talented edge has always had potential, but his health has always hindered his draft stock. Over his four seasons in Colombus, Smith missed at least two games in each season and only suited up in 30 total contests. In his career, he has 55 tackles, with 11 tackles for loss. Smith will be participating in the Senior Bowl, where he will have the opportunity to boost his draft stock.

The Buckeyes have endured their struggles when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks, and being without Smith (6'3/260) for a second consecutive game won’t help matters. The good news for Ohio State is that Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who missed last weekend’s win over Akron due to injury, has been cleared to return. He’ll look to help Ryan Day’s team account for the absence of Smith, who is the team’s best pass rusher.

Smith (6'4/267) had only two sacks and a forced fumble in seven games played this season, but his PFF pressure rate shows a player who was consistently beating his man in pass-rushing situations. Returning was the right call: With a full-time role, Smith could realize his disruptive potential in 2021 and raise his draft profile.

While fellow edge rusher Jonathon Cooper looks set to make his season debut after missing the first four games of the campaign, OSU will still be out the 6-foot-4, 267-pound Smith, who will miss his second consecutive contest of the campaign when the Buckeyes kick against the Huskers on Saturday. There is no immediate timetable for his return to action. Tyler Friday and Zach Harrison will work in rotation with Cooper on Saturday.

Smith (6'4/267) has been dinged up throughout the early season, with his most recent undisclosed issue occurring in last weekend’s win over Indiana. With fellow DE Jonathon Cooper also out injured for Saturday, OSU will be a little thin off the edge opposite of Chase Young. Look for Tyler Friday and Zach Harrison to pick up the slack.

Smith’s injury issues have been a mystery all season. He was kept out of the first game of the year due to an undisclosed injury and now appears to have another undisclosed injury stemming from the Indiana game. There is no timetable for how serious Smith’s new injury is. Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch, who relayed Day’s message on Twitter, says that Smith’s status should be updated on Friday.