Last week at the Senior Bowl, Abram Smith was voted by defensive players as the running back of the week for the National Team. This came after an excellent week of practice against some of the best draft eligible prospects in the nation where Smith flashed his talent to NFL scouts from all 32 teams. He capped off the great week of practice with a receiving touchdown from Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett in the Senior Bowl game itself on Saturday. No doubt about it, Smith was a huge winner from the week.
Baylor’s Abram Smith (@abramsmith_28) was named top RB on the National team in a vote from LB and DS groups at practice player-of-the-week awards ceremony today at 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl. #TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/BYjPWNWAnY
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 4, 2022
This, however, came as no surprise to anyone in Texas who watched Baylor this past year as they went on to run the Big 12.
While the national media focused their discussion on future first rounder and 2023 draft prospect Bijan Robinson from Texas, Smith made a quiet campaign for the best running back in the Big 12. On the season he tallied 257 carries for 1,601 yards and 12 touchdowns, a monster campaign. This included a 188-yard game on 27 carries against a ranked BYU team and 172 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss.
I caught up with Scotty Swingler (Twitter @Pastor_Scotty), a Baylor Bears podcast creator and staff writer for 247Sports, to discuss Smith and what he brings to the table. He brought a ton of attention to Smith’s history at Baylor, where he was originally recruited as a running back before switching to linebacker and then back to running back. The Lonnie Johnson of the Baylor Bears, per se:
“He was a highly-touted 3-star back out of Abilene who moved to the defensive side of the ball under the defense-first mentality of Matt Rhule, who was lacking linebacker depth during his tenure. Smith was a competent linebacker, but many Baylor fans had clamored for years to see him back at running back. When Jeff Grimes arrived from BYU during the 2021 offseason, bringing with him his wide-zone scheme, he was looking for a back who could run hard behind his pads with enough athleticism to break big runs. Based on stories from spring camp, Grimes put Smith in the backfield and after just five called plays, told Dave Aranda, “That’s my guy.”
Any team that drafts Smith will be acquiring a player that isn’t afraid of contact and running between the tackles, clearly evident with his three years spent playing defense. However, Smith frequently showed off the necessary speed, both last season and in Mobile, to run a zone scheme and breakout huge runs when tasked. His hands were untested at Baylor however we’ve seen in recent years that, barring a Nyheim Hines-role, running back catches are largely game plan drive.
Abram Smith…violent runner pic.twitter.com/WDuSuAwSVG
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) December 4, 2021
When asked for a comparison for Abram Smith’s play style, Swingler pointed to Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL leader in rushing yards, as a comparable player.
“Overall, I think Smith projects to be a high-end early-down back in the NFL. He is fairly comparable to 2021 NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor in size and skillset… He will be a weapon on first and second down running between the tackles to pick up consistent yardage and will be a reliable goal-line back as well. Teams like the San Francisco 49ers who run a wide-zone scheme, similar to what Grimes has installed at Baylor, would be the best immediate fit, but Smith has the chops to succeed in any offense.”
Currently, Smith projects to be drafted in either the fourth round or potentially the third if he can follow up a great Senior Bowl with a strong performance at the NFL Combine next March in Indianapolis. Houston has picks 68 and 80 in Round 3.
Everyone is curious to see what style offense new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will install under new coach Lovie Smith. However, regardless of scheme, it looks like Smith could be an excellent fit to stay in state and help the Texans.