Saints running 3-4 defends in 2008? (fan opinion)
I think smith could play DE in a 3-4, olb no, he's not fast enough
Well, that is where my opinion differs. He may not be fast enough for OLB but he is definitely too small to play DE in a 3-4 defense.
Will Smith is 6'3" 282 lbs. Here are the weights of some of other DEs that do play in a 3-4 scheme.
Dallas
Chris Canty -- Height: 6-7 Weight: 299
Marcus Spears -- Height: 6-4 Weight: 305
Baltimore
Haloti Ngata -- Height: 6-4 Weight: 340
Dwan Edwards -- Height: 6-3 Weight: 315
New England
Jarvis Green -- Height: 6-3 Weight: 285
Ty Warren -- Height: 6-5 Weight: 300
San Diego
Luis Castillo -- Height: 6-3 Weight: 290
Igor Olshansky -- Height: 6-6 Weight: 309
Pittsburgh
Brett Keisel -- Height: 6-5 Weight: 285
Nick Eason -- Height: 6-3 Weight: 305
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Smith only compares to a few of these guys but the most important reason Smith wouldn't play well in a 3-4 scheme at DE is because his best attribute would be neutralized. DEs in a 3-4 are not asked to pressure the QB as much as they are to take on blockers in order to get their LBs free.