Carolina Panthers rookie wants to prove NFL wrong. His opportunity is clear-cut
There were 257 players selected in April’s NFL Draft, and DeVonta Smith wasn’t one of them.
The new Carolina Panthers cornerback, who split his college career between stints at Alabama and Notre Dame, doesn’t think the math adds up.
“It’s something that’s not a fixed process, the draft process — they get a lot of it wrong,” Smith told The Charlotte Observer Saturday. “I feel like I should have been drafted. But that’s up to me, years later down the road, creating a great career for myself to prove, to show that I should have been drafted, and I should have been one of those guys that wasn’t overlooked and got that call.”
Smith didn’t get the call he yearned for on draft weekend, but he still heard from teams that wanted to add him to their rosters after the selection process was completed.
He saw an opportunity in Carolina, where the nickel corner spot has been opened up for competition. Smith, according to Pro Football Focus, played 527 snaps in the slot during his final two years in college, so he’s positioned to at least hold his own in the race during the summer.
“I feel like I have a good opportunity to come in and add value to this team, whether that’s at nickel, at the corner, at safety,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m a versatile player and I can play all those positions and add value to this team, and special teams is a huge part of it, too. I feel like I’m a very dominant force on special teams and (I’m) willing to do whatever for the team.”
Finding versatility
Smith, 23, spent his first four college years in Alabama. He got a firsthand look at quarterback Bryce Young during the playmaker’s Heisman trophy-winning run in 2021, as they were teammates during the passer’s final two years in Tuscaloosa.
“Great player, even better teammate — great leader,” Smith said about Young. “On the field, he was dominant.”
Smith was a special teams mainstay during his first three years with the Crimson Tide. He eventually became a regular within the Alabama defense after Kalen DeBoer replaced Nick Saban as head coach in 2024. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound defensive back landed a role at the nickel position in a zone-heavy scheme before transferring to Notre Dame — which focused more on man coverage — in 2025.
Working within different schemes tested Smith’s versatility and football IQ.
“It’s just creating a mentality that I’m going to deny my man the ball when I’m in man coverage and just any player, any game and situation,” Smith said.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales noticed Smith’s range during a pair of rookie minicamp workouts this past weekend.
“Versatility,” Canales said, regarding his biggest takeaway from Smith’s rookie camp performance. “Spent a lot of time in the slot — playing the nickel — but a guy that can certainly play outside, too.”
Opening up the toolbox
Smith enters a cornerback room with plenty of talent and experience. The competition for a depth spot will be tight.
Behind two-time Pro Bowl selection Jaycee Horn and veteran Mike Jackson are the likes of Chau Smith-Wade, Corey Thornton, Akayleb Evans, Robert Rochell and fourth-round pick Will Lee. Smith is also one of three undrafted additions to the room, along with Jaylon Guilbeau and Cam Miller.
Smith is likely to battle for snaps in the slot.
“That position right there, we have Chau coming back, we have Corey Thornton, who really won the job during the season last year and got an opportunity until he got hurt,” Canales said. “So, there’s a great competition already happening. We love to throw more possible guys at each position — competition just breeds success. It breeds growth and development and guys really start to push each other. So, I’m excited to get those guys with the full group.”
During the rookie minicamp, Smith tried to focus on learning lessons over making mistakes. He’s a rookie and mishaps will happen. The cornerback just wants to learn quickly from the miscues and push forward.
He wants to play freely.
“My biggest takeaway was coming here and being a sponge,” Smith said. “Not thinking too much of it, not being too focused on failure, but leaning more on being successful on it and just playing ball and letting it loose. So that was just my mindset this week. … Everything I learned throughout my college career kind of transferred here to this defense and playing a lot. Zone split safety, variables and coverages. So, it was very easy for me — easy transition.”
The nickel position in the NFL isn’t an easy spot to play. While he has at least two experienced players in front of him, Smith has confidence that he has what it takes to play the middle of the field at the next level.
“You have to be equipped with all the tools — you’ve got to be a complete defensive back,” Smith said. “You can’t lack being physical. You can’t lack in coverage. You can’t lack in communication. You have to lead, and I think that I bring all those tools in my toolbox to be able to help this team and create value for myself and the team.”
Smith is also looking forward to practicing against Young again. It’s been three years since they last worked against each other, and Smith wants to make another impression on his former college teammate this summer.
“I don’t think I ever got a turnover on him before because he was just that elite,” Smith said with a big smile.
But if Smith can make some plays against Young and the offense in training camp, he might turn the heads of some of Carolina’s most notable evaluators. From there, he can put his versatility to the test during the Panthers’ preseason slate, which includes an extra exhibition matchup in Canton, Ohio.
Smith, who grew up in nearby Cincinnati, should have plenty of opportunities to stand out in the Hall of Fame Game (Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. on NBC) against the Arizona Cardinals.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Carolina Panthers rookie wants to prove NFL wrong. His opportunity is clear-cut."
