Scouting For The Chargers Draft: Notre Dame S Harrison Smith

Oct 25, 2008; SEATTLE, WA, USA; Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith (22) runs for a first down on a fake punt against Washington during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Washington, 33-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE
The Chargers are in need of help in the secondary and mainly at strong safety. Steve Gregory is a free agent and he wants to be a starter, while we only see him as a backup player. We will be looking to fill the position in the draft with some prospect. A player that might become available in the second round is Notre Dame Safety Harrison Smith.
Here is his scouting report from Pro Football Weekly:
Upside:• Muscular build• Plays fast and ranges• Breaks on throws and closes fast• Competitive in the air• Has striking ability• Football-smart• Vocal on-field leader
Downside:• Can improve functional strength• Absorbs too much• Some man-coverage limitations• Leaves his feet and misses some tackles• Takes some questionable angles
The Way We See It:Is a bit stiff and leggy and will have some issues in space, but offsets tight movement with eraser straight-line speed. Is a confident, four-year starter with versatility to play either safety position immediately and become a core special-teams play
This kid sounds a lot like Eric Weddle and an AJ Smith type of player. He is a smart leader on the field and a playmaker. I could see AJ moving up a few spots to make sure that we are able to select him.
A combination of Eric Weddle and Harrison Smith in the secondary could be a sweet pairing for a long time. They both are really smart players and could make some big things happen for us next season.