Donovan Smith has struggled to progress this year and the last stretch of the season could determine if he’s a tackle, a guard, or not a Buccaneer at all.
Nearly two seasons into Donovan Smith’s career and he has played similarly to what he was projected as coming out of Penn State. He’s big and strong and can pave some roads for running backs, but out in space in pass protection he’s too slow of foot to contain athletic, skilled linebackers and defensive ends. As a prospect and a pro, Smith doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a blind-side protector, and his learning curve has begun to cost the Buccaneers in both penalty yardage and sack yardage.
Against the Chicago Bears the Bucs offense was quiet through the early portion of the game, in large part thanks to Smith and his fellow tackle Demar Dotson. The two hulking tackles were overwhelmed by veteran Willie Young and rookie Leonard Floyd.
The week before against Atlanta was similarly difficult for Smith, who struggled with the speed of Vic Beasley. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith yielded eight pressures on Jameis Winston, something he’d been guilty of in two other games this season. PFF ranks Smith second to last among qualifying tackles in the NFL this season.
.@PFF ranks #Bucs offensive line 20th. Says Donovan Smith responsible for 45 of team's 124 QB pressures allowed. Most among all NFL linemen.
— Thomas Bassinger (@tometrics) November 16, 2016
As is always the case when an offensive tackle struggles, there has been a lot of talk about simply moving Smith to guard or right tackle where his skill set might be better utilized. These suggestions tend to be made flippantly as if it’s as simple as opening up the depth chart in “Madden”, and a change from left to right tackle is much more difficult than it might seem. With that said, a change to guard isn’t totally unreasonable. There’s precedent around the league for successful changes, and with J.R. Sweezy going the way of past Buccaneer free agent busts, the Bucs have room for competition at left guard.
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Coming up is a critical stretch of games for Smith who must bounce back and prove he’s the Bucs’ blind side anchor. This week Smith gets Dee Ford, who leads the NFL in sacks with ten. Making matters tougher is the imminent return of star linebacker Justin Houston, who had 22 sacks in 2014. Things don’t get easier for Smith after that, either. After Kansas City, Smith will line up across from the vaunted Seahawks pass rush, and then a week later will face Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram in San Diego.
The Bucs are in a tough spot. On one hand they have to be patient with their second round pick rom last season. On the other hand, how many times must they watch Jameis Winston get rushed into a sack or poor throw before throwing in the towel? When the development of one player directly affects the health of your quarterback it becomes difficult to be patient.
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It seems unlikely that the Bucs would give up on a second round pick after just two seasons, but if Smith doesn’t put out good tape over the next few weeks then a change can’t be ruled out. With that said, Smith is still very young, well liked in the locker room, and an asset in the community, so the safe money is with him getting a third year; whether that’s at left tackle or left guard is anyone’s guess.