Making Monsters: The inside scoop on DT Zacch Pickens and CB Cam Smith

Taylor Doll’s “Beyond the 9th Pick” series rolls on with her next guest, Alan Cole of Rivals Gamecock, to let us know about defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and cornerback Cam Smith, two players the Chicago Bears could be interested in.

These two South Carolina players would fill needs for the Bears, with Pickens projected to be selected in the third round and Smith looking like a second-rounder. Right now the Bears hold picks 53 and 61 in the second, pick 64 in the third, and the first pick in the fourth (103), but a trade back from nine overall will shuffle the deck.

Cole tells us that Smith was often matched up with the opposing team's best receiver and was a sure tackler. He also said hat Smith is “a smart corner, he’s good at anticipating routes, and seeing where he should be on the field.”

Pickens was known for his versatility with the Gamecocks, but Cole said he thrived when asked to penetrate and play in a one-gap scheme. He was set to enter the 2021 draft, but he returned to school for his final season to work on his pass rush repertoire.

“NFL scouts told him good first step, good at stopping the run, but he needs to develop another pass rush move,” Cole said Pickens told him about past year’s pre-draft process, “and I think he’s done that.”

Check out Taylor's latest Making Monsters here for more on Pickens and Smith.

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