For Not Doing Anything, Troy Smith Had a Tough Weekend

More Troy Smith-related fallout from the NFL Combine. It looks like Smith's draft stock took a hit after A) he decided not to work out last weekend, and B) for not getting taller after measuring in at 6'0".

[Following the Combine] two scouts predicted that Smith would go either late in the third or the fourth round. Another scout guessed fourth or fifth round. Only John Cooper, the Buckeyes' former head coach and now a scouting consultant for the Cincinnati Bengals, seemed confident that Smith would go fairly high.

For some perspective, in early December -- days before Smith won the Heisman and weeks before getting blown out in the National Championship Game -- "two executives in personnel for NFL teams projected him as a second-round draft choice. Another personnel director went so far as to label him a mid- to late first-round selection."

So, in the span of two months, one game, and a no-show workout, it now seems Troy Smith is tainted goods. Why, exactly, I'm not sure. As much as it pains me, I have to agree with Brady Quinn on this one: "It's kind of hard for a guy to slip, isn't it, when we haven't done anything?" Yes, one would think so ... and one would be wrong, apparently.

It's still too early to pass judgment on Smith's NFL prospects. A year ago, some scouts were down on Vince Young, who also didn't work out at the Combine, but quickly changed their tune after his Pro Day. Smith isn't Young, but he could have a similar reversal of fortune with a solid Pro-Day performance.