Jason Smith often reminisces about his only collegiate touchdown.

He was playing tight end for Baylor University during his redshirt freshman season in a 2005 matchup against Oklahoma. The Bears were on the Sooners’ 2-yard line when quarterback Shawn Bell called the play Spartan-22. Smith knew what that meant. When his defender bit on the running back who had run out into the flat, Smith broke free in the end zone before hauling in Bell’s pass for the touchdown.

“I remember everything about that play,” he said in an interview with Scout.com.

Smith’s time as a skill position player was short-lived, however, as the Bears’ coaching staff decided after the season to switch the big man from tight end to offensive tackle.

It’s safe to say that the move has turned out to be a wise decision.

Smith, an agile 6-5, 310-pounder, now finds himself as one of the highest rated prospects in this April’s NFL draft.

While his time as a tight end was brief, that experience helped him in his switch to the offensive line. Scouts and teams have raved about Smith’s athletic ability, and see him as equal parts lock down pass protector and a playmaking pulling lineman in the running game.

Scouts see this year’s offensive tackle class (other members include Virginia’s Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith of Alabama and Ole Miss’s Michael Oher) as very deep and talented, and Smith has found himself at the top of the list. ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both predict he’ll go No. 2 to the St. Louis Rams, but Smith has reportedly had meetings with the Detroit Lions (owners of the No. 1 pick), and given the league’s valuing of offensive tackles, it is very possible that Smith could end up as the draft’s top selection.

Baylor is known more for serving as the doormat of the Big 12 than they are for producing first round draft picks. But the Bears did show a bit of life this past season, going 2-6 in conference (finishing ahead of Texas A&M and Iowa State) and playing conference powers Missouri and Texas Tech tougher than usual. Their success was in part due to the emergence of talented freshman quarterback Robert Griffin, which was due in no small part to Smith’s consistently superb play at left tackle.

Struggling NFL teams will now have to decide if Smith can give them the same kind of help next season. One thing they can be sure of: If they ever want to throw him a pass in the red zone as an eligible receiver, at least they know he remembers how to catch it.

Latest on Smith

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN agree that Smith will go to the St. Louis Rams with the no. 2 pick.

Smith recently sat down with the Detroit Lions (includes video of Smith’s combine workout).

Matt Mosley of ESPN.com met with Smith in preparation of a feature story he’s about to drop about him.

Smith on the Web

NFL Draft Scout profile: Scouting assessment with stats and measurables

Baylor Profile: Stats and personal info

Q&A on Scout.com

Feature from newspaper in Waco, Texas: Smith opens up prior to Baylor’s October matchup against Oklahoma

Smith’s Wikipedia page:Links to other Smith stories and profiles

YouTube video of Smith’s highlights

Matt Mosley feature on Jason Smith
Check out this feature on Jason Smith by Matt Mosley of ESPN.com.

Smith Says

On being asked in college to switch from tight end to offensive tackle:

“I’d rather be a fast anything than a slow something. I wanted to help the team any way I could, so I said, ‘Why not?’”

On his upbeat attitude:

“I enjoy life. You can’t walk around being mad all the time.”

On the importance of caring for your teammates:

“I’ve learned to care about the people next to me more than I care about myself. Once I mastered that, it became natural for me to block – pass block and run block. It became natural for me to run out on screens and throw my body out there. You can play the position, but unless you really care about the quarterback you’re protecting, you’re not going to do everything it takes to protect him.”

The Seahawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson to the Lions for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a fifth round pick according to FOX Sports.com.

The deal raises questions about Detroit’s draft-day plans. The Lions hold the top overall pick and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry had been suggested as a candidate for that spot.

The Seahawks gave Peterson a $54 million, seven-year contract three years ago after their Super Bowl appearance in Detroit. Peterson became an expensive asset because linebacker Leroy Hill got $8.4 million guaranteed this year with a franchise tag and Lofa Tatupu signed a $42 million contract a year ago.

Peterson will team up with Ernie Sims and give the Lions a solid outside linebacker duo. They still need to find a middle linebacker, however, and now address the hole they’ve created on their defensive line after trading Redding.

As the article suggests, this move probably means that Curry won’t be the top pick. Unless there’s a sleeper candidate out there (B.J. Raji?), the Lions will probably choose between Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

Now that St. Louis has released Orlando Pace, there’s very little doubt the Rams will use either pick number three or pick 35 at the top of the second round to pick into the teeth of a tackle-rich draft.

Well, King’s notion certainly makes sense considering the Rams now have a Grand Canyon-sized hole at left tackle. And this is certainly the draft to take a tackle with Baylor’s Jason Smith and Virginia’s Eugene Monroe both being viewed as top 10 picks, if not top 5.

But the wild card in this situation is Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, who would also fill a need for the Rams and appears to be the best prospect in the entire draft. If the Lions don’t take him, St. Louis could pull the trigger and make a solid, safe selection in the versatile linebacker.

The Lions took a break from free-agent visits Monday to meet with college prospect Jason Smith, an offensive tackle from Baylor who’s among a handful of players vying to be the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft.

Smith arrived in Detroit on Sunday and spent most of Monday in Allen Park meeting with front-office officials and coaches.

Teams are limited to 30 private visits at their own facilities before the draft. So the Lions, with five picks among the first 82, including two first-rounders, figure to host other top candidates the coming weeks. Most draft prospects have yet to take part in pro-day workouts at their college campuses.

Despite popular belief, if a team meets with a prospect before the draft it usually is a red flag that they won’t be selecting that player. Obviously that’s not the case every single time, but teams usually don’t like to tip their hand as to which prospects they have their eyes on, so they’ll avoid those players like the plague.

But the Lions realistically have their eye on their players: Smith, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Curry. Now, there could be a sleeper prospect that people are overlooking (Eugene Monroe maybe?), but those appear to be the three players that Detroit is focusing on. That said, it would behoove them to meet with all of those players since they have the No. 1 pick. Nobody selects in front of them in the first round, so it doesn’t make sense to try and throw other teams off. Plus, the Lions have said this entire time that they will negotiate a deal with the player that they will select before the draft. So who knows – maybe Smith is the pick.

Notable Free Agents: Mike Peterson, LB; Brad Meester, C; Khalif Barnes, OT; Reggie Williams, WR; Chris Naeole, G; Joe Zelenka, TE.

Projected 2009 Cap Space: $15,500,000

Draft Order: 8

Top Needs: OL, CB, LB, WR, RB.

Offseason Outlook: Let the cleansing process begin. The Jaguars have already released long-time veteran running back Fred Taylor, 2008 free agent bust Jerry Porter and disappointing cornerback Drayton Florence. There’s also little to no chance the team makes a play to re-sign middle linebacker Mike Patterson, who was at odds with head coach Jack Del Rio for the better part of the ‘08 season.

The team also made Gene Smith in charge of personnel decisions and Del Rio is expected to take over the defensive playcalls next year, which should turn out to be two sound moves.

In terms of personnel, the team needs to address the offensive line first and foremost and then go from there. The O-line was ransacked with injuries last season, not to mention heartbreak when Richard Collier suffered 14 gunshot wounds in early September, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The Jags don’t have to reinvent the wheel because they’re already got the makings of a competitive team. But they need to regroup and rebuild through the draft and a good start would be to get their hands on one of the top offensive tackle prospects that will be available in the top 10.

Even though his talent is unquestioned, Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith is proving with each passing day that he may be too much of a risk to be taken with the No. 8 overall pick. But Virginia’s Eugene Monrore, Baylor’s Jason Smith or Ole Miss’s Michael Oher could be available and could replace Khalif Barnes at left tackle, who is expected to depart via free agency.

Even if Jacksonville fills its need for a left tackle in the draft, don’t expect the team to stop there in terms of the offensive line. If they fail to re-sign Brad Meester, center will become a concern and overall depth along the entire offensive line will need to be addressed after the injuries piled up last season.

If the Jags address the left tackle position in the draft, they could turn their attention to their depleted secondary. As previously noted, the team released Florence after a poor 2008 in which he was benched for Brian Williams, who had to switch from safety. Gerald Sensabaugh (who filled in for Williams when he shifted to corner) isn’t expected back, which means Williams could switch back to safety if Jacksonville can address the cornerback position in free agency. Leigh Bodden (Lions), Domonique Foxworth (Falcons) and Chris McAlister (Ravens) are the top free agent corners.

The Jags could add some depth at linebacker after Patterson jets via free agency, but the starting three is set with middle linebacker Daryl Smith being accompanied by Justin Durant and Clint Ingram on the outsides.

Finally, in their ongoing search for productive wideouts, the Jags will look to add at least two receivers this offseason to compete with Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt and Mike Walker. Reggie Williams isn’t expected to be brought back after years of underachieving.

The Jags could also could look to bring in a running back to pair with Maurice Jones-Drew, but don’t expect it to be a high priority with the offensive line and secondary holes needing to be addressed first.

Notable Free Agents: Nnamdi Asomugha (re-signed), CB; Shane Lechler (re-signed), P; Chris Johnson (re-signed), CB; Jake Grove, C; Cooper Carlisle, G.

Projected 2009 Cap Space: $4,000,000

Draft Order: 7

Top Needs: Not unlike other teams selecting at the top of the draft, the Raiders are mostly in need of offensive line help. Defensive line, wide receiver and linebacker could also be addressed.

Offseason Outlook: The Raiders’ top priority was to ensure that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha didn’t hit the open market, and they accomplished that by inking him to a new three-year, $45 million contract. Asomugha’s deal is complex and you can read more details here, but the bottom line is that he’ll once again anchor the Raiders’ secondary in 2009.

Al Davis also re-signed punter Shane Lechler to a four-year, $16 million contract. That might not be big news to some, but considering how much the Raiders punt during the regular season, re-signing Lechler was a wise move.

The biggest challenge Davis now faces is how will he free up enough cap space to address other needs. The Raiders were sitting at $4 million under the cap before the re-signings of Asomugha and Lechler. Are cuts coming? If so, who will be shown the door?

One name that has recently come up in trade speculation is defensive end Derrick Burgess, who the Raiders are rumored to be shopping. Burgess becomes a free agent after the 2009 season so it would make sense that Oakland would trade him now in order to gain compensation. If they were able to trade him, they would free up $3.5 million in cap space, which isn’t a huge amount but it would help.

Even if they were able to free up some cap space, don’t expect Davis to go hog wild this offseason, although it won’t be because he doesn’t want to. Davis is always willing to spend big for talent, but the cap is going to hamstring him this year. Instead, expect the Raiders to make a push to re-sign center Jake Grove and then focus on mid-level free agents and the draft.

Oakland head coach Tom Cable is apparently confident in Mario Henderson as his starting left tackle again next season. Robert Gallery is entrenched at the left guard position and assuming the team can re-sign Grove, center will be taken care of as well. But the entire right side of the line needs to be addressed.

The Raiders are in prime position to take one of the top offensive tackle prospects that’ll be available in April. Virginia’s Eugene Monroe and Baylor’s Jason Smith are regarded as the top tackle prospects, but they might not fall to Oakland at No. 7. Instead, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher could fall right into the Raiders’ laps at that spot. Monroe and Smith are getting more attention, but Oher is a fantastic athlete who has the size, strength and athleticism that all teams covet on the offensive line.

Assuming Davis goes with Oher in the first round, he then could address the right guard position in the second or third round. Oregon State’s Andy Levitre, Cincinnati’s Trevor Canfield and Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik are just three guard prospects that could be available in the second or third round.

Of course, this is assuming that Davis decides to rebuild the offensive line, which would be wise considering the money he’s already spent on quarterback JaMarcus Russell and running back Darren McFadden. Why spend millions of dollars on Russell and McFadden if you’re not going to protect them? But again, this is Davis we’re talking about – he loves speed and flash. That said, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin will also be considered at No. 7. (It should also be noted that Oakland is also considering cutting Ronald Curry and bringing back Jerry Porter, who spent last year in Jacksonville.)

Defensively, the Raiders re-signed cornerback Chris Johnson, who filled in admirably once bust DeAngelo Hall was released in midseason. Rumor has it that Michael Huff will be cut this offseason, which means Rashad Branch and Hiram Eugene will be given a chance to start at free safety, although Branch would need to be re-signed.

If the Raiders do trade Burgess, they may consider selecting Texas’s Brian Orakpo, who is regarded as the best defensive end prospect in the draft. If they keep Burgess, upgrading the defensive tackle position will need to be a priority. A top dollar free agent like Albert Haynesworth is out of the question, but Missouri’s Evander Hood and Auburn’s Sen’Derrick Marks will be available in the second round. If they’re lucky, maybe Ole Miss’s Peria Jerry will slip to the second. But that’s unlikely.

Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com ranked the top 32 prospects in this year’s NFL draft.

Here are his top 10:

1. Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia: When he throws for the scouts, they will be in awe. There are some who think he locks on to receivers at times. But that can happen to young passers with big arms.

2. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: Think Derrick Brooks. He’s a run-and-chase linebacker who has good size at 240 pounds. He might be the cleanest player in the draft, the one with the fewest flaws.

3. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College: He’s a power player who could not be blocked at the Senior Bowl. At 335 pounds, he also has good quickness.

4. Jason Smith, T, Baylor: This former tight end has great feet and plays with a nasty streak. He is 6-4, 300 pounds and has the frame to get bigger. He’s a better pass blocker, but will get better for the run as he matures.

5. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: He is the next Larry Fitzgerald. He’s big and strong. The once concern with him is his 40 time. But Fitzgerald wasn’t fast either.

6. Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia: He’s another tackle who is better as a pass protector than blocking for the run. Is that a bad thing?

7. Andre Smith, T, Alabama: He played left tackle at Alabama, but some scouts wonder if he’s not more of a right tackle. He’s the best run blocker of the three top tackles, but he has struggled with some speed rushers.

8. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: He’s accurate, poised and his arm is plenty strong. The knock on him will be that he was a one-hit wonder. Don’t believe it.

9. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State: He’s a smart cover player who might not have blazing speed, but he plays fast enough. He’s easily the top corner in this draft.

10. Everette Brown, LB-DE, Florida State: Think Dwight Freeney. He’s short at 6-1 but has a great burst off the edge. He might even rise up this board as we go through the process.

Everyone is going to have varying opinions on which prospect is better than the next (everyone is an expert this time of year), but I think that’s a pretty solid top 10. I don’t think Sanchez is a top 10 prospect, but that’s just me. For the amount of talent USC had this year, he certainly didn’t dominate and I think he’s a raw prospect in that he’ll need a couple years to develop.

The guy that could be a steal in the middle of the first round is Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis, who Prisco ranked at No. 15. He’s got better physical skills than Jenkins (the top corner in the draft), but he plays undisciplined and that’s why he’ll drop. A good pro coaching staff could turn Davis into a star.