Colorado junior cornerback Jimmy Smith said he has submitted paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Board for advice on what round he would be selected if he chose to enter the 2010 draft as an underclassman.
Smith said he most likely will remain at CU for his senior season next fall, but if the board told him he was going to be a first or second-round selection in April, he would leave school early.
“I think another year would make me a lot more known around the football community, I guess, with like a lot more hype going into the season,” Smith said. “Things that would make me leave is if they said I would go first or second round, then of course I would leave. That`s a no-brainer.”
Eligible underclassmen must declare for the draft by Jan. 15, 2010. Some analysts have speculated that a larger than normal group of underclassmen could declare for the 2010 draft because of the potential for a NFL work stoppage and labor dispute after next season.
Smith was named second team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press this season after playing in all 12 games for the Buffs and finishing as the fifth leading tackler on the team with 70 total stops. He intercepted two passes with a forced fumble and fumble recovery and finished the season with10 pass breakups.
Those are likely not the numbers of a first- or second-round selection, but Smith is already considered a strong candidate to be drafted because of his size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and his athleticism.
NFLDraftScout ranks Smith as the 42nd best cornerback in the 2011 class with nine other Big 12 defensive backs rated ahead of him.
Smith is coached by Greg Brown who spent 15 years in the NFL coaching defensive backs. Brown has said in the past that Smith has the skill and ability to play at the next level. Smith is mentored by wide receivers coach Ashley Ambrose, who played in the NFL and has spent the past two seasons in Boulder as a defensive technical intern working with Brown.
“They just told me they support me either way and to make the best decision for me,” Smith said.
Smith has been at CU for four seasons, including a redshirt year in 2006. He played in one bowl game in 2007 but still hasn`t experienced a winning season. He said he would like to do that before leaving Boulder.
He is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in sociology. If he returns for his senior season, he would be required to take classes next fall, but he could focus more of his attention on football than in any previous season.
CU players already have started offseason workouts with the strength and conditioning staff, but most are taking this month off from football to focus on finals and for holiday vacations. Throwing and seven-on-seven sessions will resume in January.
“Everybody is just lifting and getting on with it,” Smith said. “It hurts seeing other teams on TV, but that`s just going to make us that much better next year I guess.”
