Their second defender of the day has been added by the Falcons. According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, defensive end James Smith-Williams has agreed to a one-year contract with Atlanta.
The Commanders selected Smith-Williams in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. He ultimately completed his rookie season in Washington, making 55 total appearances. As the main backup to Chase Young and Montez Sweat, Smith-Williams had a greater role on defense during the last three seasons after spending his rookie season largely on special teams. He appeared in at least 40% of his team’s defensive snaps.
In 2023, the 26-year-old defensive end saw an increase in playing time after the Commanders’ DL trades. This was in contrast to his 2022 campaign, in which he started all 14 of his games while substituting for an injured Young.
Last season, Smith-Williams recorded 22 tackles, one sack, and eight quarterback hits. Despite his low ranking, Pro Football Focus gave him good marks for his covering abilities, ranking him 87th out of 112 qualifying edge defenders.
Given that the defensive lineman was selected in the first round by current Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith, a former Commanders vice president of player personnel, Smith-Williams has some ties to Atlanta’s management.
Alongside Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, and Lorenzo Carter as a rotational pass rusher, the edge rusher will probably play a similar position in Atlanta as he did in Washington.
Kevin King, a former Packers cornerback, was added to the mix by the Falcons earlier on Monday, adding some depth to the secondary.
