Alabama Football: NFL legend praises DeVonta Smith

Chad Johnson has plenty of nice things to say about an Alabama football receiver

While DeVonta Smith has had the support of Alabama football fans since his freshman year, he is now getting rave reviews from NFL legends. Specifically, former Pro-Bowl receiver Chad Johnson (formerly known as Chad Ochocinco) has been speaking Smitty’s praises on social media.

Johnson played for 11 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a two-time All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler, and he had over 11,000 total receiving yards over his career.

While it would be enough to speak highly of DeVonta Smith, Johnson is also defending his weaknesses. Specifically, he said that his weight should not be a concern. He compared Smith to himself at this stage in his career.

For Johnson to say that DeVonta Smith was better than him in college is a big statement. He is one of the proudest players in football, and he rarely admits someone was better than him at the game. However, you can’t deny the success Smith had with Alabama football.

Johnson mentioned the Miami Dolphins in his original tweet, which would pair Smith with his former Alabama football quarterback. With the Jaguars and Jets needing quarterbacks, this is likely his ceiling in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Johnson continued to detail Smith’s abilities to separate from press coverage. While this may be perceived as a problem with his size, he won at the line of scrimmage with Alabama football. He also uses his route tree and surprising speed to gain separation. In the NFL, separation means more than anything.

DeVonta Smith is also choosing to avoid drills during his pro day on Tuesday. This is one of his last chances to prove himself to NFL teams, but he will let his film do the talking. This makes sense. He is a lock to go to the first round, and he already spent the Senior Bowl with the Miami Dolphins. All potential issues with Smith surround his size. He can’t prove them wrong at a pro day.

It helps when prospects receive praise from NFL players who know what it takes to succeed. Alabama football fans hope to see Smith have a career comparable to Chad Johnson.