Braden Smith (American football)

For other uses, see Braden Smith (disambiguation).

Braden Smith (born March 25, 1996) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers.

Braden Smith

Smith with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024
No. 72 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1996-03-25) March 25, 1996 (age 29) Olathe, Kansas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:	312 lb (142 kg)
Career information
High school:	Olathe South
College:	Auburn (2014–2017)
NFL draft:	2018: 2nd round, 37th pick
Career history
Indianapolis Colts (2018–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2018) First-team All-American (2017) Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2017) 2× First-team All-SEC (2016, 2017) Second-team All-SEC (2015)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Games played: 94 Games started: 92 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

A native of Olathe, Kansas, Smith attended Olathe South High School, where he was a two-way lineman on the football varsity. Smith was credited with 82 pancake blocks on offense, 59 tackles on defense in his senior season.

Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Smith was ranked as the No. 9 offensive guard prospect in the class of 2014.^[1] He had offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Notre Dame, and decided to commit to Auburn University on May 27, 2014.^[2]

College career

Smith played as a freshman playing in 12 games. In his sophomore season at Auburn, he played right guard and was named Second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC).^[3] Smith received All-America honors in both 2016 and 2017 as well as received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the best blocker in the SEC in 2017. He finished his collegiate career with 41 starts in four seasons.^[4]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 6+1⁄4 in (1.99 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m)	9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m)	5.22 s	1.80 s	3.01 s	4.77 s	7.81 s	33.5 in (0.85 m)	9 ft 5 in (2.87 m)	35 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[5][6]

Smith was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round, 37th overall, of the 2018 NFL draft.^[7] He was named the starting right tackle in Week 5, and started the final 12 games, as well as both games in the playoffs. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.^[8]

Smith was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on December 25, 2020,^[9] and activated on December 30.^[10]

On July 28, 2021, Smith signed a four-year, $72.4 million contract extension with the Colts.^[11]

Personal life

In 2024, Smith was diagnosed with a type of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) called religious scrupulosity. The disorder caused him to miss playing in the final five games of the 2024 NFL season and nearly drove him to retirement. He traveled to Mexico to be treated with ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT, as the use of these psychedelic substances is banned in the United States, before returning home and beginning therapy. He reported improvement in his condition after the treatment.^[12][13]

Smith is Christian. He is married; he and his wife have a son.^[12]