'We Want to Be The Best': Commanders DE James Smith-Williams Shares Team's Big Goals

James Smith-Williams is entering his third season with the Commanders.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 23, 2022

When James-Smith Williams walked into NC State as a freshman, he was a 196-pound cornerback.

Fast forward to 2022, Smith-Williams is now a 265-pound defensive end for the Washington Commanders, looking to provide depth at the team's strongest position group.

Stepping in for Washington last season after Chase Young was injured and while Montez Sweat handled personal matters that took him off the field, Smith-Williams started six games during the 2021 season.

"All that experience ... is definitely getting me ready to go in this year with that same role," Smith-Williams said on NFL Network earlier this month. "We want to be the best in the league. We have the pieces to do it. We're excited to try and go meet those expectations."

He played very well, all things considered, with Smith-Williams recording 30 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

With Young still on the mend, Smith-Williams is looking to show coaches that he deserves reps and wants to build on his solid showing last year.

Once Young gets back on the field, Washington will have two very experienced edge rushers in the room who will provide valuable depth and fresh legs for late-game passing situations.

Stars are important to a team's success, but having solidified and proven depth pieces like Smith-Williams is what separates the pretenders from the contenders. If he can duplicate his strong play from a year ago in 2022, the Commanders could have one of the deepest units in the league.

Smith-Williams and the rest of the Commanders are set to open training camp Tuesday, July 26 in Ashburn, Va.

Published Jul 23, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.