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Orange Nation
January 3rd, 2008, 5:20:12 PM
For all the SU Fans

Taj entering NFL Draft?
Posted by DWebb January 03, 2008 4:00PM
Photo by Frank Ordoņez/The Post-Standard
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Syracuse co-captain Taj Smith will forego his final season of eligibility in order to enter the NFL Draft.

Smith, a junior college transfer from Newark, N.J., received an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA stemming from a collarbone injury sustained during the 2006 season. This past year, Smith caught 44 passes for 822 and 5 touchdowns. He averaged a team high 18.7 yards per catch.

Smith's decision on the surface appears to have more to do with personal needs and a desire to move on with his life. The young man with the flowing dreadlocks and big smile turns 25 this year. He was scheduled to earn his degree from SU this past semester. While Smith has proven to be a play-maker at times at Syracuse, he had bouts of inconsistency, especially with dropped passes. Clearly, Smith has the speed, desire, motor and knack for making big plays that will be in his court when scouts evaluate his workouts.

its a smart decision on his part... 3rd Offensive Coordinator in 4 years, and i'm sure he has no confidence that the offense will turn it around...

i wish him luck...he came here under the radar, and I'm glad he was able to make somehting of himself. i hope he makes it. Enter Marcus Sales!

Orange Nation
February 25th, 2008, 11:15:52 PM
According to NFL.com, he finished 7th in the vertical jump among WRs at the combine. The analysis from the site:

Analysis

Positives: Slim, athletic build with room for additional growth. ... Legitimate athletic upside. ... Good initial quickness off the snap. ... Generates burst out of his cuts and can naturally create separation. ... Good agility, straight-line speed, and vision to generate positive yards after the catch. ... Shows some toughness over the middle.

Negatives: Better athlete than football player at this point. ... Drops too many passes. ... Marginal route-runner despite the natural athleticism to stand-out in this area. ... Character red-flags to consider as Smith was reportedly kicked off both his high school and JUCO teams.