Grading the Washington Redskins picks from the 2020 NFL Draft
Round 7, Pick 15: DE James Smith-Williams, North Carolina State
Upside is the name of the game in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. And that’s something that James Smith-Williams has.
Smith-Williams constantly battled injuries throughout his college career. He only played in more than six games once in his collegiate career that spanned six years because of the injuries.
But six continues to be a magic number for Smith-Williams. Because when he played 11 games for the Wolfpack in 2018, he logged six sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 36 total stops playing on the edge. He looked like a solid rotational player with starter upside, so he could’ve been a mid-round pick.
With that said, getting Smith-Williams in the seventh round is a good value. Sure, he doesn’t fill a need. But if he can get healthy, he could be a steal and could be a nice backup to Chase Young in the future.
Smith-Williams is going to have a lot of competition for a roster spot in the form of Nate Orchard, Jordan Brailford, and Ryan Bee. That quartet will fight for one or two roster spots. But don’t count Smith-Williams out. If he’s healthy, he’ll have a chance to make it or earn a roster spot. And if not, he’s surely a practice squad option.