MOBILE, Ala. – Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith has already introduced herself in a Miami Dolphins uniform reuniting with former college teammate Tua Tagovailoa, and the thought could be mutual.
“We were just talking about how it would be nice to run it back,” Smith told NFL Network after training Tuesday in the Senior Bowl of the opportunity to reunite with the Dolphins’ starting quarterback. “Not too much, but talked about something.”
The Dolphins hold No. 3 in the 2021 NFL draft, and the team has a huge need for more explosive playmakers for Tagovailoa. Smith, who was the first major recipient to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991 and only the second since 1940, would surely meet that criterion.
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Smith attends meetings and observation exercises with Dolphins coaches at the Senior Bowl, but does not attend the field due to Alabama slipping a finger in its national championship win over the state of Ohio. He had 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns that game prior to injury.
He wore a black wrap on his right hand on Tuesday.
The biggest question about Smith leading up to the draft is whether his size will prevent him from making the top five. Alabama listed Smith as 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, and he declined to weigh in at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday. He said he would wait until Alabama’s pro-day to take full measurements.
Brian Flores, Dolphins’ coach, doesn’t seem too concerned about Smith’s size affecting his rating.
“This guy is a very, very good player. You can’t pick all you want on a man’s height, but good players are good players are good players. We can all see that,” said Flores on Tuesday. “This guy is a very good player. He played a lot of games in college. He played a lot of games in the biggest games of the year. You can pick things at people all day. He’s a very good player, and it is it.” was good to meet him. He’s a good kid too. “
Smith played bigger than him in college as he regularly found a way to break away from press coverage, broke tackles in the open, and proved permanent throughout his four-year career in Alabama.
If the dolphins want Smith, they may have competition. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projects that Smith will rank 2nd on the New York Jets in his first draft, while the Dolphins rank LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase 3rd.
Najee Harris, Smith’s teammate in Alabama, is also attending the Senior Bowl under the guidance of Dolphins coaches and could also be on the team’s radar to reunite with Tagovailoa in Miami. The dolphins have four picks in the top 50 of the NFL draft (# 3, 18, 35, and 50).
