AP Photo
Fresh off the banquet circuit, Troy Smith arrived at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis 10-15 pounds heavier than his optimal playing weight. Because of this, Smith neglected to run the 40, but he did participate in some passing drills.
As Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart and others can attest to, the draft of today has become an exercise in the tearing down of the accomplishments of successful players. A combination of the ugly BCS loss, the banquets and continued questions about his height have some scouts saying he may fall to the third or fourth round.
I'm obviously biased in my opinion, but let's wait and see how things shake out. Eli Manning was once a "can't miss" while Phillip Rivers had a funky throwing motion. A great showing at the OSU Pro Day workouts could be key in determining whether Smith goes on the first day or the second day of the draft.
The always excellent Peter King offered these takes on Smith:
c. Troy Smith seems to be an impressive kid. A little Napoleonic about the height thing, but the kind of natural leader other players will like.
And..
d. Drew Brees is three-eighths of an inch taller Troy Smith.
In other Combine news, it appears as if both Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman improved their stock. Gonzalez turned in two sub 4.4 runs while also winning the 3-cone title. Scouts seemed to be projecting him as a late 1st or early 2nd round selection. Pittman turned in a comparable 40 time and is projected as a 2nd round selection.
