It’s a common belief that the New York Giants need help in the secondary, and they could be down to just two safeties after free agency. They’ll have options at the top of the 2026 NFL draft, but what if they choose to go in another direction?
Arizona’s Genesis Smith has some of the best movement and coverage skills of any safety — and perhaps any defender — in the draft. However, he’s also a divisive player due to his tackling and run defense. The question is why are those problems in his game, and can they be solved through better coaching.
If so, Smith may be one of the greatest potential steals in the draft.
Prospect: Genesis Smith (12)
Games Watched: vs. Kansas (2025), vs. Cincinnati (2025), vs. Arizona State (2025)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-2 (unofficial)
Weight: 205 pounds (unofficial)
Strengths
Best traits
- Foot quickness
- Hip fluidity
- Range
- Coverage ability
- Ball skills
Genesis Smith has an ideal blend of size and athleticism for the safety position. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and appears to match the listed size on tape. Smith combines prototypical size with excellent athleticism and movement skills, which allow him to play a wide variety of roles in a secondary.
Smith was asked to play deep coverage zones, both in split field alignments and as a center-field safety. He was also used as a “Middle Safety” in schemes that incorporated elements of the “Air Raid Killer” defense, as well as a slot defender. His athleticism also allows him to execute post-snap coverage to help disguise the play call. Smith has great range in coverage and can cover a lot of field when he commits to a course of action.
He also has extremely quick feet and fluid hips for a safety, bordering on “cornerback” movement skills. He’s able to pick up and run with receivers down the field, avoid schemed traffic, and transition from a backpedal to driving on the ball extremely quickly. He’s very disruptive at the catch point, and quarterbacks seem to have learned to avoid him in coverage.
Smith seems to have a good understanding of route concepts and has a very quick downhill trigger, quickly closing on underneath passes or running plays. He doesn’t seem to fear contact and is willing to take on blocks from offensive linemen or deliver big hits in the run or screen games.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Run fits
- Angles to the ball
The biggest weakness in Smith’s game is plain to see: Tackling in general and run support in particular. However, there are enough flashes of upside in those departments that teams will need to investigate the “why” behind the lapses.
It seems as though the issues are two-fold. To start, Smith tends to take highly aggressive paths to the ball. When it works, Smith creates highlight reel hits. However, they can also make breaking down and tackling difficult, or create avenues for yards after the catch if he misses the tackle.
Smith also tends to make poor decisions with his run fits, picking the wrong gap or over-pursuing and creating cutback lanes. This seems to be more of a systemic issue within the Arizona defense, as their Back Seven can all try to key on the front side of plays, and ignore back-side contain.
Smith was often asked to play the Middle Safety in Arizona’s defense – a position somewhat like the middle linebacker in a Tampa 2 scheme – and it appeared as though he was often caught trying to compensate for other defenders being out of position.
Overall, Smith’s draft stock could depend heavily on his board work and how satisfied teams are by why he had those lapses in run defense. And, of course, whether they think it can be improved through coaching.
Game Tape
(Smith is the Arizona safety with long hair and a sleeve on his left arm wearing number 12.)
Projection
Genesis Smith’s projection at the NFL level is a complicated one.
He has the traits to be a starting safety in the NFL, and a potentially good one at that. His size, athleticism, movement skills, and ability in coverage are all incredibly intriguing and would normally be drafted somewhere in the second round. However, his lapses in tackling and run support are equally as concerning, and could sink his stock if he doesn’t adequately satisfy the NFL’s concerns in that area.
He could still be a Day 2 pick if he makes good use of his opportunities in the Draft Process. A strong workout as well as good interviews and board work could go a long way toward answering any questions the NFL may have. However, a poor process could see a precipitous fall for Smith on draft day.
Does he fit the Giants? Possibly, depending on his intangibles
Final Word: A late Day 2 or early Day 3 value
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