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Tennessee football: Mock draft projects Trey Smith in first round

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: LaBryan Ray #89 of the Alabama Crimson Tide battles with Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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The 247Sports 2021 NFL Mock Draft has the Tennessee football Volunteers offensive lineman going 30th.

If he lives up to the expectations set for him this year, Trey Smith’s decision to stay for his senior season with Tennessee football could end up paying dividends. He continues to be a projected high NFL Draft pick for 2021, something that wasn’t guaranteed if he entered in 2020.

A rising senior guard on the Vols offensive line, Smith was projected to go No. 30 to the Baltimore Ravens in an updated two-round mock NFL Draft by Brad Crawford of 247Sports Monday morning. That’s one of numerous first-round projections now for the Tennessee football star.

He was projected to be the sixth offensive lineman taken, behind Penei Sewell of the Oregon Ducks, Samuel Cosmi of the Texas Longhorns, Walker Little of the Stanford Cardinal, Alex Leatherwood of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Liam Eichenberg of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, Smith was the highest-rated lineman not listed as an offensive tackle.

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Part of what stands out about Smith is his versatility and his size at 6’6″ 335 pounds. He was the best blocker as the Vols’ left tackle in 2018, and he earned First-Team All-SEC honors starting at guard in a spread offense in 2017 and then in a pro-style offense in 2019. If not for blood clots in his lungs shortening that 2018 season, he would’ve been All-SEC that year as well.

Simply put, Smith has proven he can play any position in any system at a high level while producing at a high level in the process, and he has the size to do it. The only drawback are those blood clots, a major health concern. After all, they cut short his 2018 season and kept him out of full offseason activities in 2018 and 2019.

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Still, there’s no denying how great Smith is on the field, and with the new plan in place to allow him to play, his stock will likely increase if he demonstrates that durability this year. He could be part of a great interior Tennessee football offensive line with Brandon Kennedy back for a sixth year and Cade Mays transferring.

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