Why Redskins Alex Smith will be a Top 10 quarterback this season

Progression and Accuracy

For far too long, Smith has been discredited, criticized, and scrutinized for his lackluster passing. Last season, as most people know, Smith had his best season ever. He threw for 4,042 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Since he is a mobile quarterback, we can’t forget that he ran for 355 yards and scored 1 touchdown in that department as well.

Smith put all the doubt to rest with these numbers and spring-boarded himself into the Top 10 quarterbacks conversation. He finished 8th in passing yards and 9th in touchdowns. Lastly, he finished 3rd in completion percentage at 67.5 percent, only behind Drew Brees and Case Keenum.

Since he left San Francisco, Smith has only progressed statistically each season. He’s been widely known as a game manager for his entire career, but now that he’s added deep ball accuracy to his repertoire, he’s absolutely earned himself to be in the conversation for the Top 10 quarterbacks in the league.

Yes, he’s entering a new system under Jay Gruden, but Smith looks to take advantage of his successful 2017 campaign. Gruden will be sure to recognize Smith’s deep ball accuracy and make sure that the Redskins offense can take advantage of it.

It’s only fair to assume that Smith is at the prime of his career and will give his best years to Washington. He’s always been a mobile quarterback that doesn’t make mistakes, which has provided him with a successful career thus far. He’s naturally become more aggressive and expanding his skill set with the deep ball only makes him a more lethal player.

Next: Redskins Training Camp Profile: NT Daron Payne

Smith is not to be underestimated anymore. He’s to be recognized as a Top 10 quarterback in the league and will continue to prove it this coming season. The NFL needs to be put on notice as his arsenal only continues to expand.