2018 Cardinals Draft Profile

Name: Romarius “Ito” Smith

Twitter: @itosmith

Position: Running Back

School: Southern Mississippi

Height: 5-foot-9

Weight: 195

Projected: 5th – 7th

Stats:

Bio:

Romarius “Ito” Smith is a talented dual threat running back out of Southern Mississippi. Smith played all four years in college. He rushed for over 1,000 yards the last three seasons while also averaging 40 catches during that stretch. Smith is a smaller back at just 5’9” and under 200 pounds but is a hard runner who fights for every yard. He hit double-digit touchdowns in every season except his freshman year.

Team Fit:

Smith is a shifty runner who can catch passes out of the backfield or at one of the receiver spots. He has great hands and causes mismatches for opposing defenses. A tough runner, Smith’s production shows he can be an every down runner even if his size tells a different story. His all-purpose ability would provide the Cardinals with a valuable fill in for current starter David Johnson while also pushing the reserves to perform better. Smith is a later round prospect who can contribute immediately for Arizona.

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Strengths:

Very smooth and quick change of direction. Jump cut is most effective move and leaves defenders off-balance. Gets low when approaching contact and keeps legs driving. Good hands and able to make catches on the move. Able to make catches out of the backfield and has returner experience. Runs with purpose and is not afraid of contact. Bursts through openings gaining full speed quickly. Effectively uses cut blocks in pass protection as well as run blocking.

Weaknesses:

Will need to show ability to run various routes out of slot to get playing time early on. Size will be biggest roadblock to being an every down running back. Does not have true breakaway speed. Will need to show he can produce consistently against top competition.

– Ryan Adverderada is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Cardinals. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada Follow @Cardinals and Facebook.