Washington Redskins: How good can Preston Smith be?
By Hunter Noll
The defense of the Washington Redskins looks to be much improved from 2016. Preston Smith plans on being right in the middle of the movement.
In 2015, the Redskins spent a second-round pick on Preston Smith out of Mississippi State. At the time, the selection drew mixed reviews. By the end of his rookie campaign, however, the consensus was clear: Smith was a great pick.
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Not only is he a physical monster (6-5, 268 pounds), but he’s got talent as well. In his first season, Smith played sparingly. Despite that, he still managed to collect 35 tackles, four pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. Smith also led all rookies with eight sacks on the year.
He continued his good play in the playoffs. In the Redskins only postseason game, Smith recorded a sack and a safety against the Green Bay Packers.
His incredible impressive first year with limited snaps begs a simple question: just how good can Smith be?
The first thing that needs to be considered is playing time. Smith will be playing much more frequently in 2016. Junior Galette is out for the year once again (via Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com). Meanwhile, Trent Murphy isn’t going to be stealing all that game action from Smith this time around.
Next, look at his growth. As mentioned, Smith’s already a giant of a human. However, it’s his talent and experience-level that are still growing. Working with players the caliber of Ryan Kerrigan and Galette will have undoubtedly had a positive effect on his Smith’s play.
Also, never overlook how important it is to be comfortable in a system. Getting comfortable running certain plays and blitzes is important. Then there’s team chemistry. One extra year working with the same people will help you understand how to compliment each other. You learn what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are—then you play to those strengths.
With Kerrigan on the other side of him, Smith has a great pass rush partner. It will also help him to draw fewer double teams than he otherwise might on a different roster.
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Will Smith make the jump from dominant rookie to pro bowler in one year? Could there be a 12-plus-sack season in the future for the young monster? While some may see this as a stretch, I see no reason why it couldn’t happen.