Black and Teal
FanSided

Telvin Smith is a top-10 outside linebacker

By Daniel Lago

Oct 25, 2015; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Telvin Smith (50) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2015; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Telvin Smith (50) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With all the new additions made on the defensive side, it’s easy to forget the Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the best young linebackers in football.

When it’s all said and done, we’ll probably look back at the 2014 NFL Draft as the turning point for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their ascension to relevance. The team drafted their quarterback of the future (Blake Bortles), a stud wide receiver (Allen Robinson), a Pro Bowl level interior lineman (Brandon Linder), and they found a terrific number two wideout in undrafted free agency (Allen Hurns).

With all that offensive talent, it’s easy to forget the Jaguars got one of the biggest steals in the draft in 5th round pick Telvin Smith.

After excelling at Florida State, Smith tumbled down draft boards after a failed drug test at the combine and some measurables that labeled him as “undersized.” The Jaguars jumped at the opportunity to get him in the late rounds and he’s developed into a solid all around linebacker.

Chris Burke over at SI.com recently did his ranking of (4-3) outside linebackers and he kicked the list off with Telvin Smith at number 10:

"Talk about a draft find. The 2014 event was in its fifth round when the Jaguars plucked Smith off the board as the 144th overall pick, and he promptly rewarded them by securing a starting job as a rookie. Smith averaged 85.5 tackles over his two seasons, a number that could keep climbing as the Jaguars now have better pieces around him. (How exactly they unleash him and Myles Jack at the same time remains to be seen.) Smith’s size (6’ 3”, 220 lbs.) essentially cements him in as a weakside linebacker, but he is among the new wave of LBs—along with Deone Bucannon and Mark Barron, to name a couple—rewriting the norms at the position. Keep him clean from as many blockers as possible, and Smith possesses the speed and instincts to the find the ball constantly."

Smith has been deployed all over the field, particularly in coverage, but he’s shined as a run defender. He has a nose for the ball and consistently gets to running backs in the backfield. He’s also helped shore up some of the speed-deficiencies in the linebacking corps.

Moving forward, Smith should only get better with even more speed around him in the form of 2nd round pick Myles Jack. On third downs, the Jaguars could have the fastest set of linebackers in the NFL.

Home/Jacksonville Jaguars News