From now until the 2026 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, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Arizona Safety Genesis Smith.
#12 GENESIS SMITH/S, ARIZONA (JUNIOR) – 6-2, 204 pounds
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Genesis Smith 6-2/204 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Flies around the field with impressive athletic ability
– Breaks downhill with explosiveness
– Triggers downhill vs run quickly
– Patient feet off-man coverage
– Can line up as a slot corner and be productive
– Good awareness in zone coverage
– Gets in throwing windows to disrupt timing
– Best used as a deep safety
– Reads quarterback’s eyes well
– Good ball skills
THE BAD
– Weak play strength
– Bad contact balance taking on blocks
– Does not shed blocks quickly
– Average gap discipline
– Takes bad angles to ball carrier
– Gets fooled by misdirection
– Struggles to make tackles in space
– Bad form tackler
– Can have lazy feet in space
STATS
– Started 12 games and appeared in 37 games across 3 seasons at Arizona
– 2025: 77 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 8 PBUs
– Career: 164 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, 19 PBUs
– Aligned in the slot 354 times in 2025
INJURY HISTORY
– No known history
BACKGROUND
– Received 2025 Third Team All-Big 12 Honors
– Named to the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
– Put on the 202 Big 12 Fall Academic Honor Roll
– Three-star prospect out of Hamilton High School in Arizona
– Ranked the No. 11 prospect in Arizona
– Had 16 interceptions in high school
– Launched “Christmas Cats,” a foundation that gives back to less fortunate families around the Tucson and Phoenix area; inspired by his grandma, who passed away during Covid, as the two of them would pass out turkeys during Christmas and Thanksgiving
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Genesis Smith is an impressive athlete who flies around the field at all times. He is always going 100% and wants to fit the run with aggressiveness. While he struggles to take on blocks, he gives high effort to fit the run, which speaks to his desire to make plays. He will come from his deep safety position to fit make tackles, which is not something that every safety wants to do. On this play, Smith gets downhill quickly to stop a bigger gain.
While he plays hard at all times and shows the desire to fit the run, he will struggle in the NFL because of his physical limitations. He does not have the play strength, contact balance, or technique as a run defender to consistently win. I think he will be best used as a deep safety who can sometimes fly up to the ball and make plays, rather than someone you want in the box.
He does not shed blocks quickly enough and gets driven downfield by receivers and tight ends. He sometimes used a quick change of direction to avoid a block in space, but once the blocker gets attached, his rep is done. When he has a good angle to the ball carrier, he can get beaten by receivers adding into the run play. Here, he flies downhill with urgency but cannot stay up to make a tackle.
In space, Smith has a problem securing the tackle and limiting the gain. He takes poor angles to the ball carrier and allows explosive plays. As a deep safety, he gets downhill quickly but has out-of-control feet and leaves his feet too early.
This is a key problem with defensive backs, as they do not have the play strength to just dive at legs. Stronger ball carriers will run through them. Here is an example of a slant going for an explosive because he cannot make the tackle.
In man coverage, I trust Smith to stay in front of receivers and have good ball skills when he is targeted. He has patient feet and gets collisions that reroute the receiver. He is a smooth athlete who can change his path quickly to make plays. In zone coverage, he does a great job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and getting in throwing windows. When he is a hook dropper, he can fly downhill to knock the ball loose.
As the deep safety in Cover 1, he provides good help and understands where the best receiver is and will fly to him. Because he plays the deep safety position so much, he can get lazy feet and trust his athleticism too much. He is very confident in coverage, which can hurt the team for the one play he gets lazy. Here, he gives up a touchdown because he is playing too high and cannot get a collision.
CONCLUSION
Genesis Smith is a smooth athlete who understands zone coverage and can win in man coverage. He wins with his downhill speed and awareness in zone coverage to disrupt the timing of plays. However, he is a severe liability as a run defender and does not have the play strength, contact balance to take on blocks, or tackling technique to play vs the run. He is young and shows the desire to fit the run, so it could be coached up, but this significant weakness in his game will prevent him from playing every down.
NFL Projection: Late Day 2
Steelers Depot Grade: 7.4 (Spot Starter)
Grade Range: 6.9-7.8
Games Watched: at Iowa State (2025), vs BYU (2025), at Houston (2025), at Cincinnati (2025), at Arizona State (2025)
Recommended for you