Assessing the Redskins First Round Options: LB Roquan Smith

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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs walks in to the locker room prior to the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

The Case Against Roquan Smith

Smith has a couple of things that will be concerns for him at the next level. The first is that he will have trouble dealing with faster players in coverage. Smith has good athleticism, but against players with elite speed, he might have some problems.

However, the bigger concern for Smith is that he is undersized for the linebacker position at the next level. Most linebackers at the NFL level weigh at least 230 pounds and Smith weighs in at 225 as of right now. He could definitely add some weight, but given his slightly smaller 6-foot-1 frame, it could be harder for him to keep his athleticism if he added another 5-to-10 pounds of muscle.

Because of this, it’s possible that Smith might not be able to play the middle linebacker position well. In a 4-3 defense, that might not be a major issue, as he could play outside. But in a 3-4 defense, Smith would have to play in the middle. And if he doesn’t have the weight to become an effective enough tackler at the next level, he might have trouble playing the 3-4 position effectively.

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As WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell recently pointed out, Smith could end up being similar to a particular Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker.

"The closest thing to Smith in the NFL is Bucs standout linebacker Lavonte David. Like David, Smith is a speed demon who flies around the field making tackles in the ground game while also being good in pass coverage. They each have size issues, but make up for it with great instincts and big-play ability. David was a second-round pick, and Smith also will be an early-rounder. Other similar players to Smith are Falcons linebackers Deion Jones and Duke Riley, but Smith is a better player and prospect than they were coming out of LSU."

If Smith does become David, he will be well worth a first round pick. But, David likely wouldn’t fit well into a 3-4 defense, the same way that Smith is a questionable fit for the position. For that reason, the Redskins might not end up being as high on Smith as some other teams picking in the top 15 would be.

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