The next Arizona Wildcat off the board at the NFL Draft is safety Genesis Smith, who was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 131 overall in the fourth round on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Â
Smith is the second Wildcat drafted to play in the NFL, joining longtime teammate Treydan Stukes, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round on Friday. Â
Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith (12) strides his way around Weber State wide receiver Marcus Chretien (87) on his return of an interception in the first quarter, Sept. 6, 2025, in Tucson.
Smith leaves Arizona after three seasons, a high-post safety who started at three positions in Arizona's secondary during the 2024 season.Â
The Chandler Hamilton product recorded 165 tackles, five interceptions and 19 pass deflections in three seasons as a Wildcat. Smith had a career-high 77 tackles and was named a third-team All-Big 12 selection this past season.
Smith's career missed tackle percentage at Arizona was 20.1%, according to PFF. The 6-2, 202-pound Smith — who played the second half of the 2025 season with a fractured foot, he said — unofficially clocked 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Arizona's Pro Day.
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Arizona Wildcats defensive back Genesis Smith runs through warm-ups, getting ready for the season during training camp, Aug. 21, 2025.
"I felt like I had a good time," Smith said. "I was shooting for the 4.4 (seconds) range and I did that. I was satisfied with that."
Smith recently scored a 9.76 out of 10Â Relative Athletic Score, a metric that evaluates a prospect's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day. Smith's RAS score ranks 32 out of 1,311 at free safety from 1987-2026.
Defensive back Genesis Smith eyes the ball while running footwork drills at the University of Arizona football’s Spring Showcase in Tucson on April 19, 2025.
For coverage of the Arizona Wildcats in the NFL Draft, check out Tucson.com and The Wildcaster mobile app.Â
Arizona Wildcats defensive back Genesis Smith, right, keeps track of defensive back Jack Luttrell as the DBs run coverage drills, Aug. 12, 2025
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
