It’s crazy how football can work sometimes. Roquan Smith is the newest first round pick for the Chicago Bears in 2018. The fourth of the Ryan Pace era. Considering he went to Georgia, the biggest connection he’d have would be to Leonard Floyd, another first round pick. They were of course teammates with the Bulldogs a couple years back. Crazy as it sounds, that’s not the only connection he has in Chicago.
It turns out he made quite an impression the Bears’ young quarterback. Mitch Trubisky started his first ever game in college at the Georgia Dome against the Georgia Bulldogs. It just so happens that was the same exact year Smith became a full-time starter on defense. It didn’t take him long to leave a lasting impression.
In a 33-24 victory, Smith collected six tackles including two for a loss. Trubisky managed just 156 yards passing, though he did run for a touchdown. When he found out Smith would become his teammate in Chicago, he made a rather telling statement about what he saw when he encountered the linebacker for the first time.
Mitchell Trubisky says his first game was against Roquan Smith and Georgia. "It was a blur….
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) April 27, 2018
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Roquan Smith should become the new QB of the defense
Watch the tape for 30 seconds and Smith is bound to pop off the screen. At 6’1″, 236 lbs he moves way too fast for that size. Any ball carrier that tries to go outside on him is going to have a rough time. He can drop into coverage with tight ends or bring the blitz with good timing. Yet he’s the first to say his greatest strength isn’t his body. It’s his brain.
Roquan Smith to us here at Halas Hall: "My IQ, knowledge of the game is on another level."
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) April 27, 2018
That may sound arrogant, but in truth he’s not wrong. A big reason why Smith is so effective is his ability to read what the offense is doing and anticipate where the ball is going. He often wins half the battle before the ball is snapped. Great linebackers need that in the NFL. Throw in the freakish speed and athleticism with it? Bears fans have every right to be happy about this.
One thing is for sure. Trubisky is thrilled that he only has to face him in practice from now on.
