2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report Texas A&M Ainias Smith.

#0 AINIAS SMITH/WR TEXAS A&M – 5-9, 190 POUNDS. (Grad. Student)

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

– Great explosiveness out of his breaks
– Quick feet and loose hips to change direction in a hurry
– Shows a lot of snap and misdirect at the top of routes
– Accelerates quickly when he has the ball in his hands
– Able to disguise his route with smooth pacing and fluidity
– High-level vision and awareness when he has the ball
– Very good at obtaining yards after the catch due to his slipperiness and strength
– Difficult to bring down upon first contact and breaks tackles consistently
– Concentration and ball skills are high-level; rarely drops a pass
– Able to go up and make tough, contested catches over bigger guys
– Really good play strength for a guy his size
– Excellent speed, twitchiness, and vision as a punt & kick returner
– Can be utilized as a running back because of his traits (strength, elusiveness, vision)

THE BAD

– His size and athletic limitations make him scheme-specific to slot receiver
– Doesn’t create as much separation on his routes for a guy with such fast feet
– Catch radius window is limited with lack of height and wingspan
– Bigger defensive backs can disrupt contested catches
– Struggles against press coverage to create separation
– Can drift on routes at times
– Knocked off his spot which slows him down during the route
– Didn’t look like he had the same long speed or burst in 2023 due to leg injury from 2022

BIO

– Born 5/31/2001 (22 years old)
– 1,281 snaps (70 percent slot, 23 percent boundary)
– 37 career starts
– In 2023, he had 53 catches, 795 yds.