Feb. 24, 2026, 7:52 a.m. ET
Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo selected one “hidden draft gem” or mid-round sleeper for the Jacksonville Jaguars to watch at the NFL combine.
So who did Melo select for the Jaguars? Arizona safety Genesis Smith.
“Genesis Smith showcased a lot of range at Arizona, accumulating five interceptions and 14 pass breakups over the previous three seasons,” Melo wrote. “Smith’s movement skills will be displayed at Lucas Oil Stadium.”
Smith played all over the secondary, but most of his college snaps came at free safety. He’s played over 700 defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons and is listed at 6-2, 204 pounds.
As Melo notes, Smith has had good ball production in his career and allowed a career-low 12.1 yards per catch in 2025. Missed tackles, however, have been an issue at times, with Smith recording a missed tackle rate of over 20%, according to PFF.
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Andrew Wingard is set to be a free agent, but the Jaguars still have Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson under contract. How early James Gladstone addresses safety in the draft will depend on how confident he is in Caleb Ransaw and/or Rayuan Lane stepping into larger roles. Under Anthony Campanile, we saw the Jaguars use their share of three safety looks.