Redskins’ J.D. McKissic an underrated addition to the running back room

The cream often rises to the top in crowded running back rooms. Could unheralded free agent signing J.D. McKissic be the one who mounts such a ascension?

Midway through the 2020 offseason, the Washington Redskins‘ 90-man roster is static. The group for training camp is essentially set, and among that group, the Redskins have seven running backs coming in.

Three of the Redskins’ running backs — Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, and Bryce Love — are holdovers from last year, while four — Peyton Barber, Josh Ferguson, Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic — are new additions. Ferguson was transferred over from the practice squad after the 2019 season, while Barber, Gibson, and McKissic were all added in the player acquisition phase.

As of now, it’s tough to say who will emerge as a lead running back, if anyone will. More likely is the scenario in which the Redskins host a multifaceted committee. But even in that instance, some players will take advantage of opportunity more effectively than others, and J.D. McKissic is one who’s seriously flying under the radar.

McKissic, who will don the No. 41 jersey in August, was mentioned in the same vein as Steven Sims and Antonio Gibson by offensive coordinator Scott Turner in May; Turner listed McKissic as a player he’d need to find creative ways to get the ball to in 2020.

Turner has made it clear that he values versatility in his new Redskins offense. That’s something Sims and Gibson are known for, but it’s what McKissic has embodied since 2012, his redshirt freshman season at Arkansas State. In 2012, McKissic was a wide receiver, and he caught 103 passes for 1,022 yards and five touchdowns. In the four collegiate seasons to follow, McKissic never logged fewer than 50 catches and 500 yards.

McKissic is now long removed from his college days, set to turn 27 years old in mid-August. But he’s maintained his versatility over the years; in 2019, as a rotational back for the Lions, he put up 38 carries for 205 yards, as well as 34 receptions for 233 yards and a score. He’s not a world beater, and he doesn’t have any standout athletic traits, but McKissic is a savvy back who can make an impact in multiple different ways. He’s also fairly shifty and explosive, as the clip below demonstrates.

McKissic will ultimately need to make sure his skills translate to the Redskins offense, but he has a better chance to contribute than one would assume. His versatility will be intrinsically valued by Scott Turner, and he’s more established than most of Washington’s current running backs.

McKissic’s value would likely be diluted in a full-time role, and he hasn’t shown himself to be capable of shouldering that kind of load in his NFL career. But as a change-of-pace back with receiving utility, McKissic can make an impact in Turner’s offense, and even if he doesn’t fill up the stat sheet, he can show younger players like Sims and Gibson the nuances of being a position-diverse player.