Longshot Look: Brandon Smith’s athleticism sets him apart at linebacker

Penn State product is fast and has good size to make a go of landing a roster spot

On pure athleticism alone, Brandon Smith is a standout.

Running a fast 4.52-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Penn State linebacker also posted a 1.59 second 10-yard split, 37.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump.

Those testing results along with an 81-tackle, two-sack 2021 campaign for the Nittany Lions resulted in the Carolina Panthers trading up to snag the 6-foot-3 and 250-pound Smith in the fourth round with the 120th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

But being big and fast can get you only so far.

And Smith’s had a winding road that eventually led to the Las Vegas Raiders this past December.

Smith spent his rookie year relegated to special teams work as he compiled 8 total tackles in 12 games and then his career took abrupt turns. He was waived in late August by the Panthers and picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in October. He saw minimal special teams work in Philly before being waived again and landing with the New York Jets in September of 2024 for a few days. He got hurt, put on injured reserve and then released.

And that’s how Smith arrived with the Silver & Black: A practice squad addition. When the regular season ended for Las Vegas, Smith became a reserve/future signing in early January. And, at just 23 years old (24 on April 12), still is young and athletic to merit an offseason look.

As we’ve reached the dog days of free agency and are counting down the days until the 2025 draft, the Raiders depth at linebacker remains a question mark. The team lost 2024 starters Robert Spillane (middle linebacker) and Divine Deablo (outside) in free agency but did bring in veterans Elandon Roberts and Devin White to help fill the void.

There are a bevy of youngsters in the room, too: 2024 draft pick Tommy Eichenberg (24 years old), 2023 pick Amari Burney (24); undrafted free agent (UDFA) Amari Gainer (24); UDFA Jackson Mitchell (24), (UDFA) Kana’i Mauga (25), and Smith.

Roberts and White have the leg-up in terms of experience and snaps in the NFL, but it’d be wise for head coach Pete Carroll and his coaching staff to have wide open competition for starting nods, backup duties, and special teams roles.

The latter is where Smith can truly carve out his niche.

At his size and speed, the Penn State product has the qualities special teams coordinators seek on coverage units. But the competition for even snaps on Tom McMahon’s units is going to be an uphill fight.

This past season, the trio of Burney, Gainer, and Eichenberg were special teams mainstays with Mauga joining that fray, too. Burney paced the group with 384 special teams snaps with Gainer and Eichenberg earning 380 and 313 snaps, respectively. Mauga notched 251 snaps on special teams.

With the departures in the middle and the outside, Burney, Gainer, and Eichenberg can get into the competition mix for starting nods with Roberts and White — and any other rookie (drafted or undrafted) the Raiders add as the offseason further progresses. And if they can’t earn bigger roles, special teams is there waiting for them.

Despite having prototypical size and blazing speed for an inside linebacker, Smith hasn’t been able to put it together to be a mainstay on defense. He didn’t really put it altogether at Penn State either despite having elite athletic numbers. Smith flashed more than he was consistent and despite having absurd athleticism, his football IQ didn’t match leading to hesitation and the lack of recognition of plays.

What helps Smith in Las Vegas, though, linebackers coach John Glenn and Carroll have a history of developing linebackers in the NFL and if there’s a duo that can get the best out of a linebacker that hasn’t found his way, it’s those two.

If Smith can become more adept at using his size and speed to be a coverage maven on special teams, the Raiders have a moldable defender who is young enough to continue to develop as an overall linebacker.

But if Smith can’t become at least a special teams mainstay with tutelage from Glenn, Carroll, and the rest of the Raiders coaching staff, he’s not long for the pro game.

And camp fodder/practice squad lifer it’ll be.