Lecitus

Smith

With just nine offensive snaps to his name through two NFL seasons, Broeker will likely be competing for a roster spot this summer. He earned a 62.4 PFF special teams grade last year, logging 42 special teams snaps, 40 of which as a member of the field goal and extra point blocking unit. The Steelers waived C Lecitus Smith in a corresponding move.

Smith was a sixth-rounder in 2022 for the Cardinals. The Patriots continue to see record turnover along the offensive line with two more injuries last week. Smith should find a second chance to play after starting two games for the Cardinals in 2022.

Smith (6’3/313) was a three-year starter at Virginia Tech who earned honorable mention All-ACC honors his last two seasons. Smith posted a 65th-percentile size-adjusted athletic composite during pre-draft athletic testing, including an 81st-percentile 5.1 forty. He’s a squatty-built interior player who labors to win the leverage game and keeps his feet churning after the contact point. More of a finesse blocker, Smith needs positioning and leverage to win, and will cede reps to strength when he doesn’t seize both early. He’d benefit from improving his hand technique, as he can lose control of opponents while grappling. He enters the NFL with a similar frame and athletic traits to 2019 Titans third-rounder Nate Davis but without the draft pedigree.