WR Steve Smith
New York Giants
Height: 5-11¾, Weight: 197, Speed: 4.45

Notes: Was drafted in the second round, 51st overall, by the Giants in 2007 after a standout career at USC. Saw action in five regular-season games and four postseason contests as a rookie, missing 11 with a fractured scapula suffered vs. Green Bay in the second week and also missing time with a hamstring injury. Returned late in the regular season and made several critical third-down catches in Super Bowl XXLII vs. New England, helping set up the game-winning TD pass. Finished with 22-215-0 (9.8) in nine contests, with the majority of his production coming in the postseason. Saw action in all 17 games in ’08, starting four and grabbing 59-591-1 (10.0) in ’08. Has started 6-of-7 games in ’09, hauling in 45-594-4 (13.2), leading the NFC in catches and receiving yards.

Positives: Savvy route runner. Beats defensive backs with nods, jab steps and stems. Accelerates into his routes quickly and transitions seamlessly out of his cuts without gearing down. Reads coverages well and has a knack for finding soft spots and settling into zones. Shows great field awareness and understands his landmarks. Very competitive. Works the entire field and is not fazed by traffic inside. Sneaky athletic with good leaping ability. Works back to the ball and adjusts well to off-target throws. Has shown he can take a hit. Very productive.

Negatives: Has a tendency to body the ball (although he can extend outside his frame). Not creative after the catch and does not pick up much yardage after contact. Does not possess strong hands or attack the ball in the air. Not a big-play threat (despite having enough quickness to create some deep separation). Could be more aggressive as a blocker and does little more than get in the way. Is undersized, shows some stiffness in his hips and can be rerouted by physical cornerbacks. Not built to withstand contact.

Summary: A tough, dependable, quicker-than-fast, possession-type receiver who has emerged as Eli Manning’s go-to guy after the departure of Plaxico Burress. Is most effective as an intermediate receiver on slants, skinny posts and comeback routes, continuing to work and come free on improvised, broken plays. Has received little fanfare despite continually outproducing more heralded teammates dating back to USC, when he was overshadowed by Dwayne Jarrett. Leads the NFC in catches and receiving yardage through Week Seven and has consistently performed well in the clutch, despite being best in a complementary role.

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