Rhode Island TE/WR Tommy Smith will take part in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie minicamp two weekends from now. The school announced Smith’s invite Monday afternoon.
Smith is actually a name we mentioned before the draft, noting his 6.79 second-three cone time at his Pro Day. He was the only tight end with a better three-cone than South Dakota’s JJ Galbreath, who was signed by Pittsburgh after the draft.
“[Galbreath] ran a 4.67 40 with a 38-inch vertical and 6.82 three cone, a better figure than all but one tight end in Dane Brugler’s draft guide (shoutout to Rhode Island’s Tommy Smith and his 6.79, though he is a receiver/tight end hybrid who is 11 pounds lighter).”
Though listed by the school as a wide receiver, Dane Brugler’s draft guide classified him as a tight end and his Rhode Island bio notes that he lined up all over the offense.
At his Pro Day, Smith weighed in at 6030, 220 pounds with 9 5/8-inch hands. He ran a 4.59 40 and jumped 33-inches in the vert and 9’9″ in the broad. In addition to his fast three-cone, Smith put up 13 reps on the bench press.
Breaking out in 2024, Smith caught 28 passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns. He caught five passes for 47 yards in the team’s season-opener against Holy Cross and hauled in three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown later in the season versus Monmouth.
Smith also served as a key special teams player and finished the season with nine tackles. In 2022, he recorded seven of them.
A team captain in football, basketball, and on the track team in high school, Smith played quarterback and threw for over 1,000 yards as a senior while rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a junior. He was also a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, helping lead his team to a state title in 2017.
Smith is one of several known invites to Steelers’ rookie minicamp. He’ll look to impress and land a contract that would place him on the team’s 90-man roster. If he does, his path to sticking will be continuing to impress on special teams.
