West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is separating himself from this year's crop of maligned quarterback prospects at the NFL Combine, according to ESPN draft expert Todd McShay.
McShay projected Smith to be selected eighth overall by the Buffalo Bills in his last mock draft, while fellow ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. had zero quarterbacks in the first round. Smith ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, the of any quarterback at the Combine and the same time Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers ran. His vertical jump was 33.5 inches and his broad jump was 10-feet-3-inches.
McShay said he graded out as the best physical prospect at the position and now must impress in the interview portion. According to McShay, the ability of quarterback prospects to "talk football" is just as important as their physical attributes, if not more important.
McShay refused to rule out the possibility of Smith impressing the Kansas City Chiefs and getting selected first overall. "As we get closer, we may get more indications, but we need to consider that he could possibly go No. 1 overall. If you look at the history of the NFL draft, especially recent history, quarterbacks go. With the Chiefs, I still think it's a high percentage that it's Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, but if Geno wows the Chiefs, that's all it takes," said McShay on ESPN.com. Rumors have identified the Chiefs as the most likely trade destination for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, though, which would hurt Smith's slim chances of being drafted first.
Smith had a huge senior season at West Virginia, chucking 42 touchdowns and only six interceptions. For his career, Smith had 98 touchdowns and 21 picks. While his 40-yard dash time is tops among quarterbacks, Smith is a pocket passer first and foremost; Smith only has 342 career rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in his West Virginia career.
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