Genesis Smith, S, Arizona (Rd 4, #131)

[Bolt-O]

[Riverwalk]

Seriously?

[Bolt-O]

[Bolt-O]

[Factotum]

Seriously?

How's RW feeling on this one?

I'm thinking a Derwin James protégé.

[el_jefe999]

An incomplete player but his best fit is to a defense that runs two high where he can use his range and ball skills which fortunately is us.

[Bolt-O]

Yeah, Derwin will love this guy, coach him up.

[Riverwalk]

You gotta be able to tackle on Special Teams. Head scratcher.

On a positive note….it is a position of need.

[21&500]

I hope his poor tackling is a technical issue because it's hard to coach "want to"

[Formula 21]

I never thought Hortiz would draft a defender with poor tackling skills. This is not a skill that you can drastically improve as a pro due to limited contact rules.

[Geezbolt]

I imagine Coach Clink had to give his thumbs-up on this one and I trust his judgement.

[Xenos]

Brugler’s Safety#9 and he also gave him a 4th round grade. Clinks and O’Leary need to help him improve his tackling.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/int...rizona-safety/

A two-year starter at Arizona, Smith played the “Bear” free safety position in defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ scheme. He earned a starting role as a sophomore and posted consistent production the past two seasons to put himself on the NFL radar.

Using his athletic talent, Smith covers a ton of ground to make plays over the top or outside the numbers. His coverage agility and trigger quickness jump off the tape, but so does his tendency to leave production on the field. He is a finesse defender and poor tackler, abandoning his fits or attempting to minimize contact (something the Arizona coaches tried to address during the 2025 season).

Dane’s takeaway


Smith must address the concerns about his marginal physicality and tackling. However, he has a natural center-field skill set because of his ability to read the quarterback and range toward the football. Similar in ways to Callen Bullock, he has starter-level upside — if he makes the necessary improvements.


Strengths

• Tall, long and athletic, with functional speed to cover the sideline
• Smooth hips and feet to pedal, turn and play in the deep third
• Instincts are present from various alignments, especially a high perch
• Sees things developing, both horizontally and vertically, to jump routes
• Shows man-cover talent with clean transition skills (played penalty-free in 2025)
• Easy body control when tracking to position himself and make a play on the ball
• Closing burst can be weaponized as a blitzer
• Described as “energizer bunny” by Arizona head coach Brent Brennan (also has “best drip” on the team, according to his teammates)
• Strong character feedback from NFL scouts; wore captain’s “C” for several games in 2025

Weaknesses

• Lean-muscled with a narrow torso and near maxed-out build
• Major questions about his toughness and physicality
• Quick to drive but tends to let up before contact
• Poor habits as a run defender — avoids full contact when he can
• Can be dragged for extra yards by ball carriers
• Quarterback’s eye manipulation can trick him up
• Inconsistent hands — dropped more interceptions than he caught in 2025