Coach Giff Smith: Can these 8 rookie prospects fit his defensive line?

II: Doesn't dabble in analytics so much. He is old school.

No matter how you slice it, playing on the defensive line in the NFL is one of the most physically demanding positions in professional football. As such, Coach Giff Smith believes his eyes and his sense about the players who will succeed in his system. That does not mean that he throws out draft profiles that include data analytics in the overall assessment. It simply means that he does not rely on them exclusively.

To my limited knowledge, there is no data analytics method to quantify a player's passion for the game, nor his competitive spirit.

Football is a tough man's game, and Smith embraces the very nature of the sport in his coaching style. Smith opts to put points on the board rather than go for it on fourth down and short yardage. Smith is not a risk taker in the sense that data analytics dictates what he should call on any given play. But it's that nature that reassures his players. He believes in them to make the plays that count.

I: He builds confidence in his players.

The one aspect of coaching that so many seem to overlook is the way coaches give encouragement and positive reinforcement to his players. Any coach who embraces the 'you have to have your brother's back on the football field,' will be instantly judged by how well that coach has his players' backs.

Coach Smith connects with his players. He is the type of coach who is present in the moment, and never distracted by thoughts or events elsewhere. Players appreciate that more than many realize. He is the type of coach who finds a path in the fog. He holds his players accountable, but holds himself most accountable. He is the type of guy who you want to be stranded with in the wilderness, because he has an instant plan for survival and rescue.

Right now, without Coach Henny or Aaron Donald around, he is the perfect coach to lead this group. So which prospects fit this type of coach? Lets dig into the top defensive linemen and give a quick assessment: