PISCATAWAY, NJ – Rutgers senior tight end LJ Smith (Highland Park, NJ) is listed among the top senior prospects by various scouting and evaluation services as the NFL Draft nears (April 26-27).

Smith, who ended his Rutgers playing career as the second-most prolific tight end in Scarlet Knight history, is rated ninth among college tight ends by ESPN.com and Pro Football Weekly. Smith is also rated among the Top 100 players available by The Sports XChange/Sportsline.com Rankings.

Smith, an All-BIG EAST honoree in 2001, ended his Rutgers career as the second-most prolific tight end in Rutgers history. He was sixth all time in receptions (122), ninth all time in yards (1458) and eighth in TD receptions (10). Named to the ECAC’s Division I-A All-Star team, Smith was the Scarlet Knights' leading receiver in 2002, catching 32 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns. He also played for the North Squad in the 2003 Senior Bowl.

Smith was the Scarlet Knights' leading receiver in 2002 despite playing with injuries throughout the season. Smith caught 32 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns, including a season-high seven catches before over 103,000 fans at Tennessee. Smith also caught five passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener vs. Villanova and added his third TD of the season against Temple, when he finished a catch-and-run play by covering 53 yards on a pass across the middle.

ESPN.com Analysis on Smith: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/tracker/player?id=7138

CBS Sportsline.com analysis on Smith: http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/players/draft/394509