Anthony Smith
Minnesota#47 overallDraft Movement
Down 1 spot since Jun 8
Scouting Report
A six-year college receiver who took the long road, Smith spent four sparsely-used seasons at North Carolina State before transferring to East Carolina and breaking out as the Pirates' top vertical threat. Evaluators agree on the headline: this is a straight-line burner with elite, track-honed speed. He posted a 4.43-second average 40 at his Pro Day (with reports of a 4.40 clocking) and paired it with a 41-inch vertical, and that juice shows on tape in how fast he eats a cornerback's cushion. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein slapped an 8.0 grade on him, calling Smith a Z receiver who can bypass press and accelerate to top position, while warning his route-running is too sloppy and his hands inconsistent. The Athletic's Dane Brugler echoed the profile: a tall, lean athlete with immediate vertical speed and back-shoulder ball skills, but a linear route runner with drop issues whose see-ya speed is the separator. He averaged roughly 17.8 yards per catch for his career and finished 2025 with 1,053 receiving yards and an Athletic American conference first-team nod. His signature moment came in the Go Bowling Military Bowl, where he won MVP on a bowl-record 156 yards and two scores on four catches. The Cowboys took him 218th overall in the seventh round of the 2026 draft, betting his deep speed survives undrafted free agency. Projection is a WR4/WR5 field-stretcher who must earn a helmet on special teams and develop route craft and play strength to become more than a situational deep threat.
Strengths
- Elite, track-grade vertical speed
- clocked a 4.43 average 40 at his Pro Day (4.40 reported) with a 41-inch vertical
- explosive acceleration and burst that quickly erases cornerback cushion
- legitimate chunk-play producer who averaged about 17.8 yards per catch for his career
- strong ball tracking on deep shots and the ability to stack defenders on clean releases
- useful size for a field-stretcher at 6-2, 189
- can adjust to off-frame and back-hip throws
- adds yards after the catch with elusiveness and speed (376 YAC in 2025)
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent hands and too many drops over his last two seasons (six drops in 2025)
- unfinished, disjointed route tree that needs more separation craft at the top of routes
- struggles to defeat physical press man and gets rerouted by early contact
- questionable play strength shows mid-route and as a blocker
- late bloomer with almost no production across four years at N.C. State
- will be roughly 24 as a rookie after six college seasons
- average defending catch space when contested
- special-teams value is a projection (did not play special teams at ECU)
NFL Comparison
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (linear, pure straight-line deep threat with hands questions and a defined field-stretcher role); Phillip Dorsett (older, speed-first vertical specialist who lived on go routes and clear-outs); Olamide Zaccheaus type slot/Z speed piece who must earn a roster spot through explosiveness and special teams
College Stats
N.C. State 2020: 8 G, 5 rec, 69 yds, 1 TD; 2021: 12 G, 4 rec, 97 yds, 1 TD; 2022: injury-shortened (missed final 8); 2023: 10 G, 2 rec, 19 yds; East Carolina 2024: 13 starts, 41 rec, 799 yds, 6 TD; 2025: 64-65 rec, 1,053 yds, 7 rec TD plus a 45-yd rushing TD, 100 targets, 786 snaps (91% wide / 9% slot), 376 YAC, 40 first downs, 110.1 passer rating when targeted; career: 60 G/26 starts, 118 rec, 2,095 yds, 16 TD, about 17.8 yds/catch
Measurables
Awards & Honors
First-Team All-American Athletic Conference (2025); Second-Team All-American (2025); Go Bowling Military Bowl MVP (2025, bowl-record 156 receiving yards); ESPN/Mel Kiper No. 60 WR in 2026 class; NFL.com prospect grade 8.0; drafted by Dallas Cowboys 218th overall (Round 7, 2026)