What makes Roquan Smith one of the best linebackers in football originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When the Bears drafted Roquan Smith with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2018 draft, they were hoping he would develop into a defensive cornerstone. The team was in a tough position at inside linebacker after cutting Jerrell Freeman following his second PED suspension, and with many other needs on the roster at the time the Bears couldn’t afford to miss on that top-10 draft pick.
Now in his third season, Smith is not only looking like a great pick, he’s looking like one of the best linebackers in the league to Sunday Night Football’s Chris Simms.
“I think he’s in the conversation along with Darius Leonard, Fred Warner, I would say Myles Jack… Eric Kendricks in Minnesota,” Simms told NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s in that group of the top-tier linebackers in football.”
Simms says what has helped Smith become one of the best in the biz is simply more experience in the game.
“We’ve always known he had the physical ability, and in that physical ability there’s really nothing that’s a negative about his game. Can take on blockers, physical as hell, fills holes, open field tackling, can run with tight ends and running backs in coverage no problem, sideline to sideline. The big thing for me was just him getting used to 3-4 life in the NFL, how to play the linebacker position and read all the right keys.
“His read and recognition skills are off the charts… He recognizes the hole just as quickly as the running back does, and he’s there in the hole before the running back is a lot of the time. That’s where I’ve seen a real jump in his game.”
With 96 tackles already this season, Smith is on pace to shatter his career high of 114 that he set in 2018. That mark also gives him over a 30-tackle lead on Danny Trevathan for the team lead. He also ranks third on the team in passes defended with five, behind only cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson. That blend of elite run defense with reliable pass defense in the middle of the field is hard to find in the NFL.
While most agree that Smith has established himself as one of the best linebackers in today’s game, maybe now it’s time to start asking whether he can earn a place in the Bears’ rich history of Hall of Fame linebackers. Admittedly it feels a bit premature to put Smith’s name next to Mike Singletary’s, Brian Urlacher’s, or Bill George’s. But as Smith is on the precipice of a third-straight 100-tackle season to start his career, he’s certainly on the right path.
