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Paul Smith, TB
Round 5, Pick 3 , Overall 132
From: Texas-El Paso

Height/Weight: 5-11/222
Speed (40 time): 4.60

Rushing
Year G Att. Yards Avg. Long TD
1996 11 67 189 2.8 22 0
1997 NA 115 432 3.8 26 2
1998 NA 149 660 4.4 64 2
1999 12 272 1258 4.6 80 12
Totals NA 603 2539 4.2 80 16
Receiving
Year G No. Yards Avg. Long TD
1996 11 2 -1 -.5 0 0
1997 NA 8 84 10.5 30 0
1998 NA 13 179 13.8 46 0
1999 12 7 84 12.0 30 1
Totals NA 30 346 11.5 46 1


 
 


                   
Analysis by Rob Baker, 49ers Clubhouse draft writer:
        
Can play as a running back or a full back. He is a solid runner with great strength and has great vision in seeing holes made by his blockers. Would be a good one back. Is an OK receiver, but could improve. Does need to work on his blocking. Does show good natural skills, but struggles at the moment. With good coaching and a little time to improve his blocking skills, may be a good pickup. Comments: may be used as a back up to Garner this season if Hearst doesn’t recover in time.
         

Info from The Sporting News:

War Room Analysis
College running back who projects as fullback. Powerful runner with great burst to the hole. Needs work on vision and patience as runner but has lower body strength to handle short-yardage carries. Catches ball well and has good feel in passing game. Speed a big asset and makes him a threat in open field. Has natural hands and good concentration as receiver but not much experience as blocker. Has strength and leg drive to develop with more coaching and experience. Shows great toughness and excellent work ethic. Is more skill-oriented. Could contribute right away because of hands, speed and feel in passing game. Durability a question; needs to prove he is over a once career-threatening knee injury.
Notable: Finished college with 2,539 rushing yards. 
Overall grade: 18.0

Info from Pro Football Weekly:
 
Notes: Played in all 11 games as a true freshman in '96 and carried 67 times for 189 yards. Carried 115-432 and two touchdowns and caught eight passes for 84 yards in '97. Carried 149-660-2 and caught 13-179 in '98 before missing the season finale with a knee injury. Was limited in the spring of '99 because of a knee injury (right medial collateral ligament sprain) but came up big in the fall, carrying 272-1,258-12 and catching 7-84 and one touchdown.

Positives: Has improved a great deal every year. Can play both running back and fullback. Is a strong, physical, north-south runner with fine balance who can be his own blocker and move the pile when he runs low. Has good vision. Does a nice job of picking a hole and seeing the running lanes. Has good run vision. Hands appear to be above average.

Negatives: Is not used that much in the passing game. Needs work in this area and will need a lot of work on his blocking if he is going to be used at fullback. Will get too upright at times when running and blocking. Is not a really gifted tailback because he is not going to string moves together and make a lot of defenders miss.

Summary: Is not special but will be good enough if he continues to improve and run hard inside while upgrading his blocking and receiving skills.

Info from CBS SportsLine:

Tough stocky running back completed a huge final season playing both tailback and fullback over the season. Smith is an aggressive runner who has a burst through the hole with the lower body power to really move the pile and make yardage after contact.

As a senior, he rushed for 1,258 yards on 233 carries for 17 TDs with 8 receptions. He has shown the ability to block with prior time at fullback and has reliable hands as a receiver, though he was not used in that role often.

He is the inbetween-type of runner who can fill a backup role at both spots and possibly help as a third down back with more development in that role.

Free Agent type with the tools to surprise but needs a strong camp to get into a program.

Info from CNN/SI:
 
A muscular halfback with thick legs and a strong upper body -- could project to fullback as a pro. An aggressive inside runner with good quickness off the mark. Runs upright to the line, but lowers his pads on contact and finishes strong. Doesn't have good one-on-one moves or run vision. A little impatient -- prefers to attack tacklers than try to juke them. Has good straightline speed for his size, but is not a dynamic outside runner. Inconsistent blocker, but shows the ability to strike a strong blow. Above average receiver with solid hands.

 
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