_Following the_ [_NFL Draft_](https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft)_, the_ [_Kansas City Chiefs_](https://www.arrowheadpride.com) _signed more than a dozen undrafted free agents (UDFAs) to fill out their 90-man offseason roster. Now, we’re considering the chances they have to still be on the team when the season begins in September._
In this post, we’re profiling Division II star Melvin Smith Jr. — a 5-foot-10, 185-pound cornerback from Southern Arkansas. Why were the Chiefs interested in him? Let’s take a look.
**Accomplishments**
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**Athletic testing**
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**Strengths and weaknesses**
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When watching Division II and Senior Bowl film, it can be hard to prognosticate too much about a player’s skill set. However, there were some things that you can translate to any level.
First, it’s clear Smith has enough speed to hang. Smith ran great in the predraft process, which shows up on film. He is well-equipped to defend go routes downfield. He’s good at the line of scrimmage, never biting too hard at fakes and staying in-phase under control. Smith knows he can trust his speed and stay with fast receivers.
On top of this, the ball skills are strong. Smith looked strong and physical at the catchpoint in the clips I watched, but candidly, the wide receivers he defended were largely small. I’d be interested to see how he matches big, _physical_ “X” receivers. Regardless, I think he tracks the ball well downfield.
Smith loves to bait cornerbacks in zone coverage. He loves trap coverages, where he can break on something late and either get an interception or blow up a pass with a hard tackle. Smith has some vicious hits on film. He’s extremely explosive headed downhill and has good instincts to time his pursuit.
I can’t find any data on where Smith lined up, but he does move around multiple positions on film. I personally see him as an outside cornerback. Despite being slightly undersized, I think his skill set and strength will hold up on the outside just fine.
Even if he’s just an outside cornerback, I think Smith has multiple skill sets that indicate a high level of trust. You have to be extremely intelligent to play safety, slot and outside cornerback, and he did that on film.
One reason he’s able to do this is that he’s a great tackler and run defender. He will insert into the A-gap and tackle a running back. He has no issues tackling in space. His body type does look like a safety, even if he also has the skills of an outside cornerback.
**How he fits with the Chiefs**
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It’s not hard to see why the Chiefs liked Smith. He’s fast, can physically cover on the sideline, and is great tackling against the run. Those are all traits they like from their outside cornerbacks. If Smith can translate and pick up NFL speed, then he can make the roster or practice squad based on his skill set and how well it fits what the Chiefs like from the position.
**The bottom line**
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One position I implicitly trust the Chiefs to scout is cornerback. Since Spagnuolo has been here, one could argue the only miss at cornerback was trading and playing Mike Hughes. Even then, the Chiefs exchanged late Day 3 picks to acquire Hughes, so there was basically no cost to getting him, making it a stretch to call that a true whiff.
The Chiefs typically look for traits and skill set and mold from there. Long, tough, physical press cornerbacks who can run and protect themselves on downfield routes. Smith has that. He must prove he can catch up to a significantly stronger competition level. If he did, I see how Smith could make an impact eventually.