Check out these photos of Devin Smith, a fast and athletic wide receiver from the Ohio State University.
A deep-ball threat for the Ohio State Buckeyes, wide receiver Devin Smith hopes to translate that same success to the NFL.
In a league that's becoming more pass-oriented each year, a prospect with Devin Smith's abilities becomes a hot commodity.
Prior to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the former Ohio State Buckeye's receiver told the media that he hoped to catch a few sets of eyes with his 40-yard dash time.
"Hopefully something in the 4.3 range," he said. "Low 4.4s is what I've done, but I'm trying to hang something in the 4.3 range."
With a 4.42 time in the test in Indianapolis, Smith landed himself seventh among all wide receivers at the combine. While many find that kind of speed impressive, it's something to be expected if you've followed Smith's career.
At Ohio State, Smith's role was placed in his lap early. As a true freshman, he finished tied for a team-high 14 receptions and led the Buckeyes in receiving yards with 294. After hauling in 44 receptions as a junior, that numbered dropped to 33 as a senior, but he finished with a team-high 931 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns.
By averaging 28.2 yards per catch in 2014, Smith ranked first among all NCAA FBS (D1-A) receivers. His career 20.7 yards-per-catch average lands him fourth on the Big Ten's all-time list, as well.
That bi- play ability is something he hopes to bring to whichever NFL team selects him.
"That's what teams need," he said. "They need guys who can go and get it. I think I have that ability. I've shown it plenty of times in college so I'm just going to translate that to the next level."
And while Smith compares himself to former Philadelphia Eagle wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says he reminds him of someone Washington Redskins fans know all too well.
"Smith might not be quite as fast as [DeSean] Jackson, but he's very fast," the NFL.com report reads. "He has the ability to track the ball deep and consistently take the top off a defense is very reminiscent of Jackson."
That ability to track the ball, something for which Jackson has received a lot of praise in the past, is something that Smith developed away from the football field.
"Really, it's just pure concentration," Smith said. "A lot of it had to do when I high-jumped throughout my whole career, at Ohio State and high school, the small details of making sure that your steps were always right and it kind of carried over to the football field."
As the Buckeyes' deep threat, Smith played a crucial role in the team's run to the National Championship last season. In Ohio State's final three games, he had a reception of at least 44 yards in each contest, including a three-touchdown performance against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
Throughout the season, Smith showcased his ability to get downfield and beat defenses deep. One reason for that success, he says, is due to his ability to get off the line of scrimmage.
"Speed is obviously a key point in releasing from the line," he said. "You don't want to spend too much time at the line. It's all about using your hands to get the defender off of you and you use your speed as well."
With a strong showing at the combine, NFL.com is convinced that Smith has the ability to become a "deep-ball specialist" in the NFL.
"Smith isn't just combine-fast, he's game-fast and he would have had more than 12 touchdown catches during the 2014 season if he didn't have to slow down and wait on throws so often," his NFL.com draft profile reads. "He still needs to learn his craft and improve his hands, but has rare speed to score from anywhere on the field."
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