Simple offence in college will hurt Smith in early years in NFL.
Geno Smith is considered the best QB in the NFL Draft this season, and for good reason.
He is athletic and has great accuracy in his throws, something that is becoming more desirable by scouts in the pro league. The 22-year old is a natural leader, and will look to take command of whatever team he lands on early, which will undoubtedly bring immediate success in his rookie year.
The big problem facing him though is his poor ability to read a defence, and is something that could become a big problem in his game whilst still a rookie.
Running a very simple spread offence whilst at West Virginia, there was no emphasis on being able to read defensive schemes and adjust plays to what he read.
Despite helping the team to an incredible 6-0 start, the team went on to lose six of the following seven, with a big part of that due to Smith’s inability to read more complex defences, something that will only be even more common in the pros.
Smith will have to deal with pre-snap reads, offensive line adjustments, and route audibles whilst lining up under centre. If he struggles early on, then teams will step up the intensity and complexity of their defensive schemes more regularly, and force the QB’s into bad throws.
Smith should have a serviceable and successful career in the NFL, he will just need to step up his mental side of the game in the early goings if he is to bring instant success to his team.
COMMENTS