As a senior, he was moved to tight end, catching seven passes for 101 yards and one touchdown.

At 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) and 220 lb (100 kg), Smith did not have ideal size and was only considered a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.

[3] After redshirting his first season at Baylor, Smith played tight end in 2005, appearing in 11 games, starting eight.

With Baylor running a spread offense since the arrival of new head coach Art Briles, Smith was usually in a two-point stance for pass protection, which caused NFL scouts to question his run blocking ability.

[12] Smith was selected in the first round with the second overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.

"My situation was real serious," Smith related, and it caused him to miss the remainder of his rookie season.

[18] The St. Louis Rams agreed to trade Smith to the New York Jets in exchange for tackle Wayne Hunter on August 27, 2012.