With the NFL Draft slated for April 25-26, this is the 18th of daily looks at a player who could be on the New England Patriots’ radar. All profiles can also be found at projo.com/patriots.

Player: Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest

Height and Weight: 5-foot-9, 193 pounds

Position: Cornerback

Hometown: Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee HS)

Senior year: 37 tackles (28 solo), 7 interceptions, 13 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, 2 ½ tackles for loss

Career: 188 tackles (153 solo), 21 interceptions, 37 passes defensed, 8 forced fumbles, 23 tackles for loss

Honors: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association first-team All-American, two-time first-team All-ACC

NFL Combine

4.47 seconds (40-yard dash)

13 reps (bench press)

34 inches (vertical)

10-foot-5 (broad jump)

Is he a fit for the Patriots?

In a word, yes. Smith has all of the tools to be an NFL cornerback – he has excellent ball skills, good speed to stay with receivers, fluid hips, excellent quickness, reads quarterbacks well, gets into position to make plays well, doesn’t back down, isn’t shy about contact, and was great at racking up yards after his ACC-record 21 interceptions.

The most common negative among scouts is Smith’s size, but the Patriots don’t seem to have a problem with corners around his height – Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Randall Gay all lack in the height department. Smith proved in college that he’s a playmaker, and giving up a few inches to receivers doesn’t seem like it will be a problem at the next level.

Despite his numbers and his impressive week at the Senior Bowl, Smith is considered underrated, as Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins has gotten all of the hype at the position. But the Patriots have thrived by picking the “underrated” players in the draft (see: Logan Mankins, Richard Seymour).

smanza@projo.com