With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins picked up a huge upgrade on the offensive line in Brandon Scherff, but the team’s second-round pick could be even more impressive. Washington selected Preston Smith, a very versatile pass-rusher out of Mississippi State to make up for the loss of Brian Orakpo from earlier this offseason. Washington made their second great selection of the draft in Smith, and if everything goes as planned, he will be a very good defensive building block for the team.
Smith gives Washington a high-motor pass-rusher that can come right in and start opposite Ryan Kerrigan and thrive. Smith is a better all-around player than 2014 draft pick Trent Murphy, and the fact the Redskins were able to pick him up in the second round is surprising. With Kerrigan commanding attention across from him, Smith will be free to wreak havoc on opposing offenses and really live up to his potential as a pass-rushing linebacker.
It’s clear through the selection of Smith that new general manager Scot McCloughan has a plan in place for Washington going forward. Not only did McCloughan fill a need with the selection of Smith, he also picked up one of the most underrated players in the entire draft. Whereas in years past the team would have attempted to make a splash with their picks, McCloughan is sticking to his draft board and getting tremendous value with Washington’s picks.
Overall, this is one of my favorite picks in the entire draft. Smith is going to be a dangerous player coming off the edge right away in Washington, and he will provide the Redskins with an excellent compliment to Kerrigan. Redskins fans have to be excited about the decisions the team is making so far in the draft.