Cam Smith had 'uncomfortable' interview with New England Patriots

The NFL Combine can be a bit of a grind for players. On top of all the physical testing done at the annual pre-NFL Draft event, teams will also do all kinds of psychological probing and testing. Just ask South Carolina‘s Cam Smith.

Smith was one of the players who was quite frank about how some of his interviews went.

In particular, Smith described his interview with the New England Patriots as “very intense.” He said he “kind of felt uncomfortable” during the interview, then provided even further detail.

“I had to answer a lot of hard questions dealing with some of the stuff that I did in college,” Smith said, according to Zack Cox of NESN.

Smith was extremely productive on the field at South Carolina, notching 91 career tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, six interceptions, 24 passes defended and a forced fumble.

That kind of production stands out, so whatever probing questions the Patriots had to ask were likely designed to make sure Smith could hold up to scrutiny.

Cam Smith has already turned in some excellent test results at the NFL Combine. He clocked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash while posting a 38-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.