NFL Draft: Ranking the 5 most underrated prospects for 2018

No. 2: Cornerback Tremon Smith, Central Arkansas

Small-school prospects often make it on the underrated list ahead of the NFL Draft, and Central Arkansas cornerback Tremon Smith is no exception.

At 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, Smith has the size and ability to play both nickel and on the outside. But what’s making Smith the No. 2 player on this list is his sheer speed. He ran a 4.34 40-yard time at his pro day, yet NFLDraftScout.com still lists him as a likely undrafted free agent.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein tells you what you need to know about Smith:

"Extremely confident and extremely greedy as an on-ball defender, Smith was asked to play the role of island defender and did so at a high level. While he faced a lower level of competition, he possesses the size, speed, athletic ability and instincts that should be able to translate to the league. Smith has the potential to fight for either an outside or slot role, but he’ll need to play with better discipline in order to avoid penalties and big plays."

Fringe players, especially those at risk of not being drafted, better bank on having been aggressive at the collegiate level.

This describes Smith, whose value increases with his ability to double on special teams. From what we’ve seen of film so far, Smith has the potential to develop into a quality starter at the NFL level after a couple of seasons.

That’s pretty good for a player likely to be taken no earlier than Round 7.