Roquan Smith likely will go down as the best draft pick GM Ryan Pace has ever made. That is unless Justin Fields works out as many hope. The inside linebacker has been tremendous for the Chicago Bears since the moment he stepped on the field in 2018. One can easily make a case that the kid should’ve made the Pro Bowl in 2020. His numbers were plenty good enough to do so. It didn’t happen. So he merely played even better in 2021. Did that finally draw the attention he deserves? Nope. Smith was snubbed again and Akiem Hicks couldn’t believe it.
The big defensive end had his best game of the season on Monday night against Minnesota, notching two sacks of Kirk Cousins. Smith had 10 tackles on the night as well. The defense in general played outstanding, especially considering they didn’t have a single starter available in their secondary. Hicks has had a front row seat for Smith’s ascent since arriving four years ago. When he received the news the 24-year old failed to crack the Pro Bowl again?
His reaction said it all.
It just doesn’t make sense. Smith ranks third in the NFL right now in tackles with 142. He also has three sacks and a pick-six. The linebacker has outplayed almost everybody else at his position. Yet he still couldn’t get the necessary votes. That is incredibly disappointing because Bears fans know how terrific he’s been for years now. He is the unquestioned future focal point of this defense. The next great star linebacker.
Smith deserves the same recognition guys like Brian Urlacher, Mike Singletary, and Dick Butkus got. Yet he doesn’t. Why is that? Maybe it’s his unassuming personality. Maybe it’s playing defense in an offense-obsessed era. Or maybe for all his brilliance he still hasn’t had a true signature moment yet. Either way, this young man will get at least one thing coming to him. That is a fat, new contract. Akiem Hicks knows that much.
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