Redskins: Predicting the 2020 stats for each incoming rookie

James Smith-Williams

There’s reason to be cautiously optimistic about James Smith-Williams, the Redskins’ final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He’s a solid athlete for his 6-foot-4, 265-pound size, and when he was on the field at NC State, he put up good numbers. He’s also a player who checks the character box emphatically.

There’s far more reason to be pessimistic, however. Smith-Williams only had one collegiate season where he stayed on the field consistently, and he suffered season-ending injuries twice. He’s not a very bendy player off the edge, despite his athleticism, and he’s also competing for roster spots with the likes of Young, Sweat, Kerrigan, Ryan Anderson, Nate Orchard, and others.

There’s a chance Smith-Williams could find a role, if he puts on a few pounds and displays positional versatility on the line. Otherwise, I think his best bet is to stick around on the practice squad through 2020. There, he will be unable to accumulate stats.