We reach our first of four Stanford football prospects on this list with tight end Kaden Smith. The upcoming tight end draft class is sneakily very deep — more on that later — and Smith is one of many players at the position expected to be drafted come next week.
A key piece of the Cardinal offense over the past two seasons, Smith is a physical specimen who has been a quality offensive producer throughout his college career. His 47 receptions, 635 yards, and two touchdowns all ranked third on the team in 2018 helping earn him second-team All-Pac-12 honors in the process.
Smith’s biggest strength — apart from his imposing figure — likely comes with his excellent ball skills. The 21-year-old has a fantastic catch radius and has no issues extending his arms to high-point the football, much like the aforementioned Doss.
However, Smith has his share of limitations which will likely hold him back at the next level. While he has a large frame, he isn’t particularly strong and will often get bodied both in his routes and while blocking. Smith doesn’t have stand-out athleticism and struggles to separate making his contested catch ability more of a necessity than an asset.
These limitations will likely limit his starting potential in the NFL, but it’s easy to see Smith developing into a very reliable backup tight end who flashes red zone ability from time to time.
Certainly a player worthy of a Day 3 draft selection based on his given traits, but his highlight reel might be more flash than true substance.