NEW YORK -- With the finish line of a marathon pre-draft process in sight, Geno Smith is answering his critics.
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On Tuesday, the West Virginia star sent a pointed tweet to "experts" who believe he won't be a high-level NFL quarterback. Around The League caught up with Smith on Wednesday at an NFL Play 60 event at Chelsea Waterside Park, where the quarterback explained his motivation for the tweet.
"I don't see what's so wrong with it," Smith said. "I understand with the position I'm in, everything's going to be overblown, everything's going to be analyzed. Just let people do their jobs. I gotta do mine and they have to do theirs.
"I'm not going to sit back and take all the criticism, especially the unjust criticism, things that are made up."
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Asked to elaborate on what was made up, Smith replied, "You know what I mean." (We surmise he's referring to this.)
Smith said he understands a lot of the criticism he's faced goes back to the position he plays.
"I'm not the only guy who's been criticized coming into this thing and I'm not the only guy who's fired back," he said. "So it's not a situation where I'm an individual, or I'm trying to make myself bigger than the draft or the process, because I understand what goes on.
"I'm just that type of competitor. I'm going to fire back when I need to."
Smith spoke passionately, and it's clear the months of doubting the 2013 quarterback class has become a motivating factor. Whatever team selects him will get a quarterback with a chip on his shoulder. That's not a bad thing.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
