Noah Gray and Trey Smith Film Reviews: Two Worthwhile Swings
The Chiefs selected
It’s Friday, everyone! I think we’re all excited for the weekend, but before we head off to get outside and enjoy this lovely weather (unless you live in Iowa, then you deal with rain), let’s take a look at the two of the Day 3 selections Kansas City took, in Noah Gray and Trey Smith.
This review will be shorter because I didn’t get as much all-22 on these players, but I’m still excited about these players. I don’t expect them to do a bunch in year one, so we’ll be a little shorter in this review. Regardless, enjoy, and have a fantastic weekend!
Noah Gray
Blocking Ability
Noah Gray is undersized for a tight end, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any ability to block. You won’t see Gray line up as an in-line tight end often, but he’s still competent blocking in space. Duke would have Gray be a lead blocker in the screen game, and he was functional in space. If you ask him to block safeties or cornerbacks, he’ll be able to execute his assignment for the Chiefs.
Route Running
These three clips go through three different routes that I liked about Gray, but let’s talk about what I like from Gray’s route-running.
Gray’s fluidity in his hips pops on tape. Gray’s a flexible body, who has the hip fluidity to snap his hips down in his routes and change his speeds to gain separation. Changing speeds is one of the traits that I value most from my receivers, and Gray has the fluidity to snap his hips down and change speeds in the middle.
Gray’s long speed isn’t fantastic, but he’s explosive underneath. Gray has a quick first gear and can win underneath with his quickness and ability to gain separation with the fluidity of his hips.
Gray’s also really good at setting up his routes with different head fakes and his feet. The third clip represents that well, with Gray running the Option-Post in the middle of the field. He demonstrates his fluidity and understanding of leverage well, which is pretty vital for a tight end.
Trey Smith
Let’s move on to Trey Smith, a senior guard from Tennessee. Trey was one of the top recruits in the country in his class, but with blood clots and coaching issues, Trey didn’t quite hit the hype that was expected out of high school. Still, he tested as one of the best athletes at guard in NFL history, and there are traits to like. Let’s talk about things I like.
Explosiveness Off The Snap
Trey Smith tested in the 90th percentile or above in his explosive scores at his Pro Day, and that explosiveness does show up on film. That explosiveness shows up in the run game primarily, where Smith is exceptional on the down block.
Trey’s the first guy off the snap routinely. This clip has Trey hitting the down block on Split Zone, and notice how quick he is. He’s already into his drop step before the defensive tackle has his hands off the ground. Jordan Davis, the Georgia defensive tackle, is a freak with his pad level, so Trey doesn’t get a great block here, but the explosiveness on film shows up.
Functional Strength
Trey’s strength is really impressive in pass protection. Trey’s a large man at 6’5 and 320 lbs, and he uses that body to absorb power well. If you’re trying to stab Trey and beat him with power, you’re not going to win. He’s well-built in his upper frame, to the point where he doesn’t have to get low to sustain power.
If you have questions about Trey Smith and his body, look at this picture, man…
Dominating In A Phone Booth
Trey’s more of a linear player, but if you put my man in a “phone booth” or a linear path on a down block, he’s devastating. His combination of power, strength and lower body drive makes him a devastating run blocker. If Trey Smith is healthy early in his career, he could easily be a devastating run blocker.