Northampton Saints have bolstered their squad with a former NFL prospect, adding 6ft 8in lock George Smith to the roster for the upcoming season.

Smith, 23, who weighs 21st 10lb [138kg] and represented Coventry in the Championship last year, was in the same NFL international pathway class that saw Louis Rees-Zammit snapped up by Kansas City Chiefs.

However, during a short trial stint at Saints at the end of 2023-24, Smith demonstrated a level of power that led the Premiership champions to officially sign the towering forward.

“George’s superpower is that he is 6ft 8in and he can move really quickly,” said Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby.

“The guy is unbelievably physical. When he first arrived, we tested him and his power-per-kilogram scores were incredible – the best we’ve seen in years.

“He is a bright lad and got stuck in from the word go. We’ve got someone who is physical, smart and can play the game.

“George comes from a totally different background, there’s no academy history for him. He played well for Coventry in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Saracens and also scored against Gloucester.”

Before joining Coventry in 2022, Smith represented Bristol-based Redcliffians in the fifth tier and earned selection for Somerset in the Bill Beaumont County Championship.

He was a colleague of Harry Mallinder, an ex-Saint, as well as Rees-Zammit in the NFL player pathway, but jumped at the chance to move back to the United Kingdom.