Smith had an exceptional season in 2020 with Alabama, catching 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns en route to the Heisman. Completely insane numbers, often just running away from defenders. The question, of course, is whether Smith can do that at the next level, where defenders are much better at keeping contact and bumping smaller wide receivers off their routes.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Reuben Frank examined the size question earlier this week:
"Really, the only question about DeVonta Smith is whether he’s too small. At 6-1, 170 pounds, it’s fair to ask.
"No wide receiver that size has ever been drafted in the first half of the first round.
"Mel Kiper, who has called Smith one of the five-best players in the draft, also acknowledged that the Alabama star “could drop a bit” because of his size."
To be fair, we have seen some receivers at this size have success in the league. Eagles fans in particular will remember a skinny dude named DeSean Jackson, who stood 5-9 3/4 and weighed 169 pounds at the 2008 NFL Draft Combine, doing just fine in the pros.
But Jackson is clearly an exception to the rule rather than a blueprint, and you probably don't want to make a habit of picking undersized players.