2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Ainias Smith, WR Texas A&M
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Ainias Smith, a Wide Receiver from Missouri City, TX who attended Dullus High School. Smith was a 3-star recruit and attended Texas A&M.
In 2019 as a freshman, Smith attended Texas A&M and appeared in 12 games. In that time he caught 22 passes for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2020 as a sophomore in 10 games. During that time he caught 43 passes for 564 yards and 6 touchdowns.
In 2021, as a junior, his production would see a slight dip in 2 additional games. He hauled in 47 receptions but only managed 509 yards and 6 touchdowns. His 2022 season saw him battle injury, appearing in only 4 games. He caught 15 passes for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns and decided to return to school for one final season.
In 2023, as a senior he appeared in 12 games, catching 53 receptions for 795 yards and 2 touchdowns before declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
It should be noted that during the 2024 NFL Combine, a foot fracture was found in Smith’s medical examination and it’s currently unknown when he will have surgery and when he will be available to play.
Measurables
NCAA Statistics
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2019 | Texas A&M | SEC | FR | WR | 12 | 22 | 248 | 11.3 | 3 | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 0 | 29 | 302 | 10.4 | 3 |
| *2020 | Texas A&M | SEC | SO | RB | 10 | 43 | 564 | 13.1 | 6 | 49 | 293 | 6.0 | 4 | 92 | 857 | 9.3 | 10 |
| 2021 | Texas A&M | SEC | JR | WR | 12 | 47 | 509 | 10.8 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | 0 | 55 | 535 | 9.7 | 6 |
| 2022 | Texas A&M | SEC | SR | 4 | 15 | 291 | 19.4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 18 | 302 | 16.8 | 2 | |
| *2023 | Texas A&M | SEC | SR | WR | 12 | 53 | 795 | 15.0 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 0 | 58 | 816 | 14.1 | 2 |
| Career | Texas A&M | 180 | 2407 | 13.4 | 19 | 72 | 405 | 5.6 | 4 | 252 | 2812 | 11.2 | 23 | ||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Has elite balance and agility along the sidelines.
- He plays faster than expected and is slippery on the field.
- Is an explosive playmaker with a great burst.
- He is a potential YAC monster who is excellent in open space.
Weaknesses
- He doesn’t have breakaway speed or burst.
- Often seeks out contact too much instead of attempting to evade tackles.
- He has a tendency to dance behind the line when there is no obvious rushing lane and struggles to bounce the run to the outside.
- Is a good receiver with great hands but runs a rudimentary route tree without any real refinements.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: Round 5 (UDFA)
Ideal Landing Spot: Jacksonville Jaguars
This one is going to be contingent on his health. I have him listed as a Day 3 pick if he is able to clear his medicals, but with that unlikely to be the case, he will likely go undrafted.
If he does clear medicals in time for the 2024 NFL Draft, he could be a great late-round addition to the Jaguars who are set to lose Calvin Ridley to free agency. Smith is a depth option at this point and will need a clean bill of health to find himself fantasy-relevant.
Post-Draft Analysis
Pick 5.152 to the Philadelphia Eagles
Smith
