Lecitus Smith
iOL Virginia Tech 6-3 314 JR #54
GRADE: 77 OVR RANK: NR POS RANK: NR
ARM LENGTH: 31 7/8”//HAND SIZE: 9 5/8”//40YD: 5.18 (81%)//10YD: 1.79 (80%)
VJ: 25 ½” (35%)//BJ: 8’03” (42%)//BP: 23 (48%)//SS: 4.78 (55%)//3C: 7.88 (59%)
Projection: Developmental Guard. Could be a spot starter or a guy you start regularly but are always looking to replace. Best fit in a heavier Gap scheme. Draft Projection: Day 3 ~ GrindingTheMocks.com
Ravens Fit: Fits best in a scheme like the Ravens’ but his talent level would probably only put him in the competition with Ben Powers, Tyre Phillips and Ben Cleveland for LG; I don’t see anything in his play to distinguish himself from that group. That’s not to say that he won’t be worth a 3rd round pick for some team, just likely not the Ravens. There is plenty to like: his anchor, his hands in jump sets, his positioning and fit as a Gap blocker. He definitely will be on the Ravens’ board and they have shown a propensity to add mid-round Guards when they get to a certain point of value but I’m not sure Smith would be the OL pick this time.
Overall Fit 
3/5
Pass Protection
Has only adequate set quickness and doesn’t really explode from his stance. In jump sets he is patient and shows excellent hand timing and placement when working with independent hands on an inside strike. When working a two-handed strike or an outside strike, his outside hand has solid placement but it isn’t quite as well placed as his inside hand which consistently gives him control of reps. He also has explosive hands that can rock DL backwards. From jump sets he also has a violent snatch and trap that he uses regularly and often wins reps emphatically with this. When vertical setting, and generally when having to move further, he doesn’t have as efficient feet as you would like and does have a tendency to pitch his feet up and down too much when he has to get to a challenging landmark.
When he does this, he loses his excellent hand placement and can be too high on his opponent. He must work on processing stunts/games and pressure packages more effectively, he can leave himself far too much to do to shut down blitzing LBs from the second level and needs to move his feet more to meet those challenges. He has a solid base and good play strength to deal with bull rushes and other power moves, to anchor, especially in jump sets when he has managed to get his hands on quickly. Competitive.
Run Blocking
As a Gap blocker, he positions well for most blocks including solid drive and attack steps. He fits well when working at the LOS on Down blocks and Drive blocks and has good strike zone recognition, playing with a low pad level to maintain leverage. There is power in his hands and with his leverage and he keeps his feet moving on contact. But his finish is always limited by his inability to roll his hips on contact. More savvy defenders with good hand usage can still leverage their gap against him, shed and tackled the runner. On DBLs, he works well as the Post man but has the same finishing issue.
As the Drive man the timing on his release is off, he can wait too long to release to the second level, long after the Post man has managed a successful takeover. When he does time his release, he can climb well to the second level and fit and finish on second level defenders when he doesn’t have to move very far. As a Zone/Space blocker, he moves pretty well especially in a straight line but he doesn’t come under control well when he gets to the defender in space or on Reach blocks when he has to travel longer distances. His strike zone recognition and therefore is fit is off. He makes impact but it isn’t sustained and can mean the block isn’t functional.
SUMMARY
Good pass protector in jump sets with good hands and anchor. Has some footwork challenges when vertical setting and fitting deficiencies when on the move.
PRODUCTION
N/A OL
3 Year Starter at LG
INJURY: Ankle injury (JR)
RAVENS FIT
Toughness 3
Intelligence 3
Versatility 3
Grit 3
Scheme 4
