The Chicago Bears Roquan Smith pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft is official. It marks the fourth-straight top 10 selection they’ve made since GM Ryan Pace took over and the second time in three years he’s taken a linebacker out of Georgia. Word is this time though it was defensive coordinator Vic Fangio who urged the moved and most of the coaching staff and front office were in agreement.
Smith might be the most experienced and proven prospect they’ve drafted as well. He started two full seasons for the Bulldogs and didn’t spend it at multiple positions. He was an inside linebacker from start to finish and logged 28 games as a starter in 2016 and 2017, including the national championship last year.
The question on peoples’ minds though is a bit simpler and vaguer than that. Did the Bears get a good player? That’s all they want to know. So here is a quick grade for their first pick, report card style.
Chicago Bears Roquan Smith grade: A
It might seem like we’re being a bit too homer with this but that’s not true. NFL.com gave them an A-, so back up on that. The Bears scored big with their selection of Smith. He was widely considered the best linebacker in the draft by a comfortable margin. He didn’t win the Butkus Award for best in college football by accident.
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The two things that stand out most about Smith are instinct and speed. He’s rarely fooled by any fakes or misdirections by offenses and is almost always first to the football. Running backs can’t escape him if they try to go outside.
LB Roquan Smith…Speed to the ball. #Bears pic.twitter.com/YBnj80sJCU
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) April 27, 2018
Yet the obvious question among fans is always the same. Can he drop into coverage if and when he’s asked? This is almost a right of passage that separates good from great linebackers in the NFL. It’s not entirely true but this is the house that Brian Urlacher built. He was one of the best coverage linebackers of his generation.
Does Smith measure up at all? Yes, yes he does. He not only has a good feel in space but he shows a knack for tracking the ball and not losing his coverage assignments.
here is roquan pulling off a ridiculous play in coverage on a slot recevier in the back corner of endzone pic.twitter.com/fbArN58H32
— Ty Wurth (@WurthDraft) February 2, 2018
Top that off with considerable blitzing ability (6.5 sacks in 2017) and there really is almost nothing the kid can’t do. The main reason he doesn’t gain an A+ is his limited ability to take on blockers. If offensive linemen are able to square him up, he’s not going to win that play. He’s just not built that way. So as long as the Bears keep him clean, they’ve got a future star.
