Proper earlier than the NFL commerce deadline, ESPN insider Adam Schefter introduced that the Pittsburgh Steelers had been buying and selling for Green Bay Packers EDGE Preston Smith, sending them a seventh-round draft decide for the veteran go rusher. Smith had been working in a rotational capability with Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare, having began all 9 video games this season, however has performed 54% of the defensive snaps. By means of 9 video games, Smith has logged 19 whole tackles, two tackles for loss, 4 quarterback hits, and a pair of.5 sacks.
PRESTON SMITH AS A PASS RUSHER
Smith has been a productive go rusher all through his time within the league since getting drafted by the Washington Commanders again in 2015. He has logged 68.5 profession sacks, 10 pressured fumbles, and 6 fumble recoveries. Smith is an enormous, lengthy edge rusher, standing 6-5, 265 kilos with 34-inch arms. He makes use of that size properly towards opposing offensive linemen as a go rusher and run defender.
Preston Smith makes use of his size properly to get contained in the sort out’s chest, permitting him to manage the block and rip off in pursuit of the passer. Watch the reps under towards the Tennessee Titans, the place Smith stabs the left sort out with one arm whereas utilizing his different arm to carry the blocker’s arm away from his body, serving to him clear the block as he closes in on the quarterback for the sack. Within the second clip, watch Smith swipe RT J.C. Latham’s arms down as he makes use of the arm over on the sting to clear the block across the nook and end within the pocket for the sack, displaying good dip and bend across the edge for his dimension.
Preston Smith strikes properly for his dimension and body, displaying good go off the ball regardless of turning 32 in a few weeks. Watch the primary clip under of Smith’s reps towards Minnesota Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw from a yr in the past. He shows a top quality burst to not far away to the quarterback, mixed with hand utilization to clear the block to get into the pocket.
Preston Smith likes to counter inside when blockers decide to oversetting exterior, trying to cross the blocker’s face and apply inside strain. Watch the rep under, the place Smith rushes inside towards the Indianapolis Colts. Due to the within strain, Smith forces QB Anthony Richardson to roll out of the pocket and make a throw on the transfer towards the sideline.
Preston Smith’s dimension and size can overwhelm blockers on the level of assault, however he typically exposes his chest and torso by popping upright on his rush, giving blockers an enormous goal to dam. He doesn’t have the identical leverage that somebody like Nick Herbig possesses when rounding the nook of the pocket, as he can are likely to get locked up on blocks just like the play under when he exposes his chest to blockers.
PRESTON SMITH AS A RUN DEFENDER
Relating to operating protection, Preston Smith is a stout edge setter who makes use of his dimension, size, and energy to his benefit to carry his personal towards offensive tackles and overwhelm tight ends tasked with blocking him one-on-one. Watch the clip under to see Smith manhandle the tight finish tasked with blocking him on the run to his facet, simply shedding the block to make the sort out within the backfield for a lack of yardage on the play.
Smith is snug taking part in in a two-point stance and along with his hand within the dust, doing a great job of preserving exterior include and crashing inside to explode runs up the center. Watch the clips under to see Smith line up on both facet of the road of scrimmage in each stances, containing QB Jalen Hurts on the quarterback hold within the first clip whereas combating throughout the face of the pulling guard of the Minnesota Vikings within the second clip to get in on the sort out.
The addition of Smith to the protection was a low-risk, high-reward state of affairs for Pittsburgh, as they solely gave up a seventh-round decide for a confirmed go rusher who ought to assist shore up their run protection and provides them one other completed go rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. With Nick Herbig nonetheless on the mend from a hamstring damage, Smith can step in as that main rotational edge rusher to provide Watt or Highsmith a breather and add extra insurance coverage in case of damage.
When Herbig returns, Pittsburgh can be operating four-deep at edge rusher. Smith and Herbig are a formidable duo that may rotate in with the starters, making Pittsburgh’s go rush extra fierce as they put together to make a run for the AFC North crown coming off their bye week with half the season left to go.
