Pros and cons of Miami Dolphins picking South Carolina football's Cam Smith in 2023 NFL Draft

COLUMBIA — South Carolina football's Cam Smith was selected by Miami Dolphins with the No. 51 overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Smith, a Blythewood native, was a 4-star prospect and the No. 19 cornerback in the class of 2019. He concluded his South Carolina career with 69 tackles, 24 pass breakups and six interceptions, plus a forced fumble.

The 6-foot-1,180-pound Smith was the seventh cornerback selected in the draft and the 20th South Carolina defensive back drafted since 2000. Here's what Dolphins fans can expect from Smith.

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The positives

Smith's calling card is aggression, the definition of a player that has "that dog" in him. It's an intangible trait, but an especially critical one for elite cornerbacks. Draft analysts describe him as "sticky," and he ranked top 10 in the country in 2021 with 14 pass breakups. Smith was so disruptive that he was rarely targeted by opposing offenses in 2022.

Smith also showed off his athleticism with a strong performance at the NFL scouting combine. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, the 11th best time of the 30 cornerbacks who attended, and had the third-best broad jump.

The negatives

Despite playing primarily nickelback in college, Smith is somewhat light for an NFL corner at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. His weight falls in the eighth percentile for the position, and his length is only slightly above average. He recorded fewer tackles in 2022 than any of the Gamecocks' other starting defensive backs, and his aggressive style can lead to misses.

Smith also is not a prospect trending up. He recorded better numbers during in 2021 than in 2022 and was not named to the Associated Press All-SEC team last season after receiving second-team honors in 2021.

What else to know

Smith had arguably his most impactful game of 2022 in South Carolina's shocking upset of then-No. 5 Tennessee. He recorded a season-high seven tackles against the Vols and was critical in limiting Biletnikoff Award winner Jaylin Hyatt. Hyatt logged 65 receiving yards on six catches against the Gamecocks despite averaging 105.

For his lack of bulk, the cornerback stayed largely injury-free during his college career. He missed two games in 2020 with a leg injury, his only physical issue in four seasons. He sustained two head injuries, one in 2021 and another in 2022, that caused him to miss two games each time.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Miami Dolphins pick South Carolina's Cam Smith in 2023 NFL Draft