Lecitus Smith was born on July 13, 1998, he is an American football guard for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Lecitus Smith was a three-year starter inside Virginia Tech’s multiple run scheme with 37 career starts almost exclusively at left guard and a lone start at left tackle against Richmond in 2021.
Smith has a sawed-off, stout build with good thickness in his lower half. He is a tone-setter who uses good play strength, leverage, and square power to create consistent movement and sustain and control blocks in the run game.
Smith explodes into contact with low pad level and an iron head to deliver a jolt on contact with excellent leg drive to ‘step on the toes’ of defenders to eliminate space and displace them off the spot. He puts defenders in a cage once latched and finishes through the echo of the whistle.
In pass protection, Smith has a stiff outside punch to deliver a jolt and naturally works for his hands inside against the bull rush to create lift, force through the ground, and a firm anchor.
He does show below-average lateral agility, upfield burst, and marginal arm length which limits his ability to track fast-flowing targets at the second level and protect his edges when rushers get perpendicular to him. These issues also limit his ability to hook and complete reach/scoop blocks due to him getting pressed and flattened.
Overall, Smith is an impact run-blocker in a downhill run scheme predicated on the inside zone, duo, and power. He has the demeanor, play strength, and technique to consistently displace, sustain and control blocks and is a firm, reliable anchor in pass protection. Once he gets latched, the rep is typically over.
Smith’s profit may be best at the center to play in a more confined space where he can get his hands on defenders more quickly and dictate terms to the opponent.
Smith’s contract is four years and worth a total of more than $3.79 million. He receives a signing bonus of $132,012 and his salary each year will be the league minimum. In 2022, that will be $705,000, and it increases to $870,000 in 2023, $985,000 in 2024 and $1.1 million in 2025.