APWest Virginia’s Geno Smith may be the best quarterback in this year’s NFL draft. He’s definitely the fastest.
Smith turned in a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine on Sunday morning, the best 40 time of any quarterback in this year’s draft class. Running in the 4.5s puts Smith on par with what Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick ran when they were in the Combine. Both of them have shown a great ability to use that speed on the field.
What’s interesting about Smith, however, is that he tends not to use his speed on the field: Smith was much more a passer than a runner at West Virginia, passing for 4,205 yards and 42 touchdowns while running for 151 yards and two touchdowns last season. So Smith should not be viewed as a running quarterback.
Still, proving he has the speed to make plays with his feet — especially at a time when NFL teams seem to be intrigued by the ways that running quarterbacks can threaten opposing defenses — can only help his draft stock.
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Not an arizona fan, but if they picked up Geno Smith, that would be one fast division.
Good for him!
but Tyler Wilson is the best QB in this draft
Oakland will take him
Buffalo Bills if he is still on the Board
I hope my Raiders are paying attention.
What was Brady’s time in the 40? I seems to me that passing accuracy, ability to read defenses, pocket awareness and leadership are the most important attributes of a quality QB. Smith may have these as well but a frequent running QB is one hit away from IR.
Maybe if Brady were faster he would have made it out of bounds in the AFC championship game. Be ping fast can only help a Qb, provided he develops the rest if his game (see kaepernick, Wilson, and RG3 – and Vick this year).
Geno Smith will likely have a really good, productive NFL career.
Regarding the Raiders, it would seem that Terelle Pryor, in his lone start last year, showed plenty of potential to build on…he should probably get an opportunity before they invest too highly in another QB.
A lot of people criticize him but i think the kid will make a really good quarterback. strong arm, quick release, good speed, doesn’t create turnovers, ect. Does he deserve to go first overall? Maybe not, but I still think he is a solid first round QB that can make horrible team look pretty good.
KC has their pick
It will be Geno
I wish he fell to AZ
Florio must be so proud.
If you can run fast, you’re a good all round athlete. Stop with the pointless “How often does a football player run 40 yards?” nonsense. The time speaks volumes about your likelyhood of success in the sport.
merky19 says:
Feb 24, 2013 12:25 PM
What was Brady’s time in the 40? I seems to me that passing accuracy, ability to read defenses, pocket awareness and leadership are the most important attributes of a quality QB. Smith may have these as well but a frequent running QB is one hit away from IR.
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How do you know he doesn’t have any of those attributes. He barely ran in college.
Chiefs 1.1
Just because he’s fast doesn’t mean he’s a “frequent running QB” or anything of the sort. Go back and watch some of the games at WVU, he’s definitely a pocket passer and only runs when he needs to or the play is designed that way.
I hope Bills draft him!
I’m not buying the hangover from last year’s QB high… There’s some really good QB in this year’s draft, and Geno most certainly tops the list.
Geno is fast, but you can tell the game runs slowly for him. That is where he has a step up on the others.
Probably get him drafted first overall.
I am not a fan of the running QB. With that said, Geno Smith is exactly where the league is heading. Athletic, quick, but also a pocket passer. Peyton Manning with legs.
It will come down to this, eventually.
Chiefs will not pick him. Andy believes in dline and oline. He will not reach for a qb. Joeckel is the pick
That’s also about the same speed Andrew Luck has.
If he’s still on the board…imagine him and CJ Spiller in the same backfield.
omg i hope Chip Kelly doesn’t pick him
If KC doesn’t get A.Smith, my $ is on Geno going 1st overall. Now, if A.Smith lands in KC the Raiders have some decisions to make. Is Geno worth it, or do you get that that DT?
(Unfunny raiders comment)
I thought the raiders didn’t have a first round pick(palmer trade)?
Jets trade up with Raiders and pick Barkley.
Funny how a lot of u guys have zero knowledge on draft prospects. He’s fast, but he is not a running qb. Do yourself a favor and look up his running stats. He’s a passer first.
Wilson/Kaepernick/Luck/RG3 are on teams that were really good beyond the QB position. SF and Seattle have some of the best D in the NFL, Seattle has the 3rd leading RB and 2 starting pro-bowl OL, and SF was going to the Superbowl even if Smith was their QB. Washington had the 2nd leading rusher, and a fairly good team overall too.
People need to get off the idea that a team like KC, Oakland, Buffalo etc are going to be just like any of those other teams just cause they have a running QB. Its more like the QB needs to be fast to run for their life behind those other teams OL.
“People need to get off the idea that a team like KC, Oakland, Buffalo etc are going to be just like any of those other teams just cause they have a running QB. Its more like the QB needs to be fast to run for their life behind those other teams OL.”
Actually, buffalo’s OL is pretty solid, especially if they resign levitre. Fitz did not get sacked very often, he always had time to throw, he just sucked.
Given this class of QBs, it’s like being the tallest midget.