During Head Coach John Harbaugh's press conference on Wednesday, a reporter asked about his expectations for second-year cornerback Jimmy Smith.
Harbaugh smiled and looked over at Smith, who was standing just about 20 feet away, and made it clear that he thinks big things are in store for him.
"I expect greatness from Jimmy Smith," Harbaugh said.
Smith has no problem at all with that outlook from his head coach.
"I expect the same out of myself," he said.
Smith is in the midst of an offseason where he's working to show he belongs in the Ravens' starting lineup. Last year's first-round pick is competing with five-year veteran Cary Williams for a starting job.
"I am going to go out there, compete and do my best," Smith said. "I am not really worried about who is going to be the starter or not. I know I am going to be playing, so my job right now is just to make sure I can do whatever helps the team."
Smith's focus is on improving certain aspects of his game – specifically speed and lateral movement – which he thinks were exploited at times last season.
One of the changes he's made is dropping weight. He's shed about 15 pounds from last year and now weighs about 201 pounds. Without an offseason last year, Smith wasn't able to work under the watchful eyes of an NFL training staff, which he said led to slight weight gain.
"I was a little out of shape and my weight was heavier," Smith said. "This year, we had a chance to work out, so my weight has been level. It's been the same – 200 pounds."
Cutting the weight could help with Smith's speed. He's a big physical cornerback that can press receivers at the line, but he admitted that the speed of the NFL game caught him by surprise.
"People are fast up here," Smith said. "One thing I really took from last year is that speed really kills up here."
In addition to adjusting to the speed of the NFL, Smith said that he can make improvements in just about every area of his game.
"I don't think I am perfect at any part, so every day I just go out and work on my technique, my speed, my vision," Smith said.
The Ravens have noticed an impressive work ethic from Smith this offseason, and if he continues to progress and build on his solid rookie campaign, then he could very well live up to the expectations he and the coaching staff have for him.
"Jimmy has worked really, really hard," Harbaugh said. "He is becoming a technician out there in this offseason. He's got all the tools – very humble, hardworking guy. The sky is the limit for Jimmy."
