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Nolan Smith is part of the all-conquering Georgia Bulldogs team that went unbeaten in the 2022 college season.
He will enter the 2023 NFL draft, where the standout linebacker is expected to be selected in the first round. Smith is quite the prospect and was crucial to the Bulldogs' suffocating defense. His talents are almost NFL-ready, so he will likely seamlessly transition from college defensive stud to professional defensive anchor.
A playoff-ready NFL team should select Smith as a mid-to-late first-round pick. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks could do with a prospect like him on their roster.
Nolan Smith's NFL Combine measurements
Smith measured in at 6-foot-2 1/4, 238 pounds on Thursday (Mar. 2, 2023), with 32 5/8" arm length, 9-inch hands, and a 10' 8" broad jump.
Nolan Smith's 40-yard Dash Stat
Nolan Smith had an official 4.39 40-yard dash, the second-fastest combine mark by a defensive end since 2003. Only Smith and Amare Barno (2022) have come in under 4.40 at the position.
How has Nolan Smith performed in 2023 NFL Combine?
Smith has been bossing it in the 2023 NFL Combine, with the Georgia Bulldogs alum setting the standard for linebackers.
He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which is absurd for a player of his build. He might not be the biggest at his position, but his intangibles compensate for his lack of elite size.
Smith also put up a monster 41.5 vertical leap, which is a height even NBA prospects would be proud of. He did all that with a 6' 2" and 238-pound frame.
Nolan Smith's College Stats
Nolan Smith joined the Georgia Bulldogs football team before the 2019 college season. He enrolled at the University of Georgia, fresh out of Savannah, GA. He put up a stat line of 18 tackles, one pass deflection and 2.5 sacks in his rookie season with the Bulldogs.
His second year with the Bulldogs saw him improve across all statistical categories as he began building a reputation for himself in college. He put up a stat line of 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Smith's third year seemed like a boom or bust for the Savannah native, as scouts felt he was playing in his last year at the college level. He was now a leader in the Bulldogs' locker room and played like one. He put up a stat line of 55 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception for the season. He helped the Bulldogs to their first Kirby Smart-era national title.
Smith surprised a lot of scouts and analysts when he returned for the 2022 college season, his fourth as a Bulldog. Unfortunately for Smith and the Bulldogs, the star linebacker sustained an injury during the season.
As such, he played the fewest games since his rookie season but still put up a stat line of 18 tackles, one pass deflection and three sacks. He won his second successive national title at the end of the year.
