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Grading System
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Akili Smith | QB | Oregon | Pac-10
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Selected by Cincinnati Bengals in round 1, pick 3 (#3 overall)
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Ht
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Wt
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40
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BP
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SS
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LS
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VJ
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BJ
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Grade
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6'2"
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227
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4.7
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-
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4.30
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-
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34.0
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9'6"
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7.45
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He is making the most dramatic move up the draft charts among the QBs despite of his lack of experience. He is a former junior college transfer that really only came into his own as a senior and has shown dramatic improvement in 1998. He has great physical skills including size, speed & AA and he also has a baseball background, having signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates out of high school. He has a strong arm, a nice quick release and great passing skills, but he is still somewhat inconsistent. He needs to improve on his overall judgement and decision making, but it is probably more of a case of lack of experience. As he continues to learn to read defenses he will dramatically improve as a player. He may have the highest upside of this group, but is probably the most "raw" of the elite quarterbacks entering in the draft. If the NFL team that drafts him is patient, they will be rewarded in time with an excellent player.
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1998 Passing Statistics
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Attempts
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Completions
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Completion %
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Passing Yards
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Touchdowns
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Interceptions
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371
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215
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58 %
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3763
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32
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9
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1998 Rushing Statistics
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Rushing Yards
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Attempts
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Average per Rush
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Touchdowns
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184
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82
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2.2
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4
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Video: