Colts 2015 Player Preview: Safety Robert Smith

If there's one position where the Colts could use a young player to develop, it would be the safety position.  Their two starters, veterans Mike Adams and Dwight Lowery, seem pretty solid, but the Colts have spots open at the backup spots to work with players and develop them.  The Colts only signed one undrafted free agent at the position, Robert Smith, which makes him even more of a guy to keep an eye on.

Smith, a 5-10, 204 pound safety, played collegiately at Clemson, where he played in 53 games (starting 26) and recorded 182 tackles (six tackles for loss), a sack, two quarterback pressures, four interceptions, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries.  In 2014, he was an Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2014 and he was also two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member.  Shortly after going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, Smith was signed by the Colts, where he has spent the offseason working and training.

After Adams and Lowery, the safety position seems to be up in the air.  Clayton Geathers was drafted by the Colts and seems to stand a pretty good chance at making the roster, while Colt Anderson was re-signed this offseason and is a key special teams player.  Guys like Winston Guy and Dewey McDonald could also make a push for a spot, as both are interesting players to keep an eye on.  For Robert Smith, he'll have to beat out several of those guys to make the team.  It's likely that the Colts will only keep four or five guys at the safety position, so Smith will need to get among that group.  Probably the best way for him to do so is to show great potential at safety that the Colts want to work with while also showing the ability to contribute on special teams right away.  If he can do that, he'll certainly be right in the midst of the competition at the safety position, and if not a spot on the 53-man roster, it should at least earn him a spot on the practice squad to continue working.