TTProfil

Ainias Smith has a small frame for the wide receiver position and lacks the athletic abilities or power to consistently win on the outside, which is why he primarily played as a slot receiver. Smith is more quick than fast; his speed seems good but is not elite considering his size. His footwork and quickness stand out the most on film, allowing him to have quality start & stop movements. He has good explosiveness, agility, and hips, but his body control is average. His lack of power is his weakness, as his play strength is questioned, and he gets outmuscled when placed on the outside or faces press coverage.

Smith has a good release palette and explosiveness, but his lack of power is felt on the line of scrimmage, and he can be jammed quite easily. He had a lot of free releases, but his release ability at the second level is interesting because the cornerback does not have the opportunity to use his physicality if Smith executes his release with good timing. He struggles to create separation against press coverage, but when he succeeds, it's due to his quickness, where he manages to create enough space to be a viable option.
Smith is a threat against off-man coverage and zone coverage. When given time to develop his route, he is a true threat and knows how to create space thanks to his IQ and ability to change directions with very pronounced angles.

Smith executes well-executed breaks inside and out, which are fluid and quite incisive thanks to his low center of gravity. However, in my opinion, he still often plays too high on his supports, especially on his stem. The stem of a receiver's route is the initial vertical segment of the route, which is the part of the route that precedes the receiver's break. He is a threat on the first two levels of the field (short/intermediate) and has a fairly well-developed route tree, but it could be even more diverse given his abilities as a fluid mover. His ability to be dangerous on deep routes is more limited because his lack of elite speed allows cornerbacks to catch up to him.

Ainias Smith has limited ball skills due to his size and short arms. His catch radius is limited, so is his ability to play the ball at its highest point, making him vulnerable in contested catch situations. His lack of power and tendency to body catch make it difficult for him to thrive in traffic and limit his yards after catch ability. If he has space in front of him, he has the athletic qualities and change of direction to gain yards.

Despite his small frame, I find his run blocking to be really good due to his commitment and technique; strangely, his lack of power is not too noticeable in this area.

Ainias Smith is a very interesting prospect to have on a roster; he can be an important piece in a system tailored to his strengths and in a rotation. He can have a gadget player role and as a returner (2 TDs on punt returns in his career), but unfortunately, he will be too limited by his lack of physicality to be an impactful slot throughout a game and that could be used in all situations in the NFL.
I evaluate Ainias Smith as a talent from the middle to the end of day 3.