As wide receivers and quarterbacks begin workouts Saturday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, one pass-catcher will be headed back for medical evaluations.
According to NFL Network, doctors found during medical evaluations that Texas A&M senior receiver Ainias Smith has a stress fracture in his left shin. Smith won’t work out in Indianapolis and will visit with a specialist next week.
A projected early Day 3 pick, Smith might have had the most to gain of any receiver in the class. As the Aggies trudged their way through back-to-back mundane seasons, Smith dealt with injuries and inconsistencies at quarterbacks. In 2022, he was limited to four games after suffering a season-ending leg injury against Arkansas.
Last season, Smith started every game, but played with three different quarterbacks. Since 2021, Smith has played with seven quarterbacks in College Station while serving as the No. 1 target.
As a receiver, Smith offers depth value. As a return man, he could be the league's next Devin Hester. Scouts believe Smith is one of the best returners in the draft class, especially on punt returns.
Last year, Smith became the first player in conference history to total over 2,000 receiving yards and 800 punt return yards for a career. He also averaged 9.8 yards per punt return.
Smith told reporters he met with several teams for formal interviews on Thursday, including the Miami Dolphins. Last season, the Dolphins drafted former A&M running back De'Von Achane in the third round, who'd go on to be a Rookie of the Year finalist.
When asked, Smith said he'd love to reunite with the former All-SEC kick returner and create a little Aggie magic in South Beach. The two have been friends since playing at Marshall and Dulles High School.
"We had always scrimmaged against each other, so it was always a cool little competitive rivalry," said Smith. "At the same, once he had got to A&M, it was pretty wild to me because we had come from the same city, came from the same hood. It was like, we’re both here, doing the same thing that we always dreamed of.”
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