What made the Floyd comparison to Smith so erroneous at the time was people only did it because the Bears had Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator. Fangio of course coached and developed Smith in San Francisco. Yet the two players were drastically different in terms of body type. Floyd was much lighter than Smith coming out of college, by 30 lbs. Also he’s much quicker and more athlete. Smith on the other hand is longer and more powerful. It was never a proper comparison and Fangio said as much.
Fangio says both Leonard Floyd and Aldon Smith are tall, but the comparisons end there. Smith is bigger and Floyd is a better athlete.
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) August 4, 2016
This isn’t a bad thing. They’re just two different players. However, if Fangio is paying attention to the upcoming 2017 draft class he’ll see a player who compared much more favorably with his former pupil. That being Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton. He didn’t emerge on team radars until this past season when he broke out for 10 sacks in 11 games. How close does he compare to Smith? Check out their measurables and performances at the scouting combine.
Smith
- 6’4″
- 35 3/8-inch arms
- 263 lbs
- 4.78 in 40-yard dash
- 20 reps on bench press
- 34.0-inch vertical leap
- 118.0-inch broad jump
Charlton
- 6’6″
- 34 1/4-inch arms
- 277 lbs
- 4.92 in 40-yard dash
- 25 reps on bench press
- 33.0-inch vertical leap
- 116.0-inch broad jump
Indeed the body types hold a considerable similarity: thick and long but still able to move with some speed and explosion. Though Smith had the higher marks in the dash and jumps, it’s important to note that Charlton was carrying 14 extra pounds. Of course the measurable parts aren’t the only reflection of their similarities. The tape shows it too. Put them up against each other and it becomes apparent real fast.
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