Christopher Smith taken in fifth round by Las Vegas Raiders
Georgia safety Christopher Smith has come off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft after being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fifth round. The Raiders traded up to the No. 170 pick previously held by the New York Jets. It’s the second straight season they’ve selected a Georgia player after taking running back Zamir White last season.
Smith spent five seasons at Georgia, and unlike many who have done that before, he didn’t redshirt at all. While he was able to do so only because of the COVID season in 2020, it speaks volumes about the type of player he is that Kirby Smart and company wanted him on the field as much as they did.
Coming out of Hapeville Charter in Atlanta, Smith made the move from cornerback to safety early in his career. He saw the field in five games as a freshman before playing in all 14 as a sophomore in 2019. Combined, Smith has 11 stops.
It wasn’t until his junior season in 2020 that he began to make a major impact. Against Auburn, Smith entered for Richard LeCounte after an ejection for targeting. He finished the game with three tackles. Then, after LeCounte suffered a season-ending injury in October, Smith was thrust into the starting lineup for the final five contests. He had multiple tackles in each outing including a career-high at that point against South Carolina. Smith also had a pass breakup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati.
With LeCounte off to the NFL, it was officially Smith’s starting job for 2021, and in the season-opener, he made one of the biggest plays of his career. In a defensive battle between top-5 teams, Smith scored the game’s only touchdown as he intercepted Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and returned it 74 yards for the score. It was his first career interception.
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Smith’s versatility came up big for the Bulldogs as he made the move from safety to STAR against Tennessee, helping slow down a strong passing attack there as he played every snap – just as he did in the win over Clemson and later would in the National Championship against Alabama. Smith managed another interception in the National Championship, his third of the season, and a career high seven tackles.
Smith saved his best season for his last in 2022 being named an unanimous All-American, one of just 13 in program history. With 61 total tackles – fourth best on the team – he was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award for the nation’s best defender and a First-Team All-SEC player according to both the AP and Coaches.
Smith led Georgia with three interceptions. Once again, he started the season off with one in the opener against Oregon. Later that year in the same building, he had his career-high eight tackles and a 96-yard return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the SEC Championship Game against LSU. Smith also broke up a pass that bounced off of his helmet and into the hands of teammate Smael Mondon, leading to Georgia’s third touchdown of the game just one play later, before he had an interception of his own in the fourth quarter. Then, in his final game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium – one that meant a lot to him in his hometown of Atlanta – he once again posted eight tackles in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Ohio State.
Smith is the sevneth Georgia player taken, joining Jalen Carter (Eagles), Broderick Jones (Steelers), Nolan Smith (Eagles), Darnell Washington (Steelers), Kelee Ringo (Eagles) and Stetson Bennett (Rams).
