The Chicago Bears draft feels like it went really well. They attacked almost every position of need and filled them with good players. Yet the one who stands out most must be their first rounder. The last time they took an inside linebacker in the top 10 was back in 2000 when they grabbed Brian Urlacher out of New Mexico. That certainly set the level of expectations when Roquan Smith of Georgia became their guy at #8 overall.
Not that it fazes the man himself. Smith was a force in 2017. His speed, physicality, and instinct were on full display from start to finish. He played arguably his best game in the national championship against Alabama. The bigger the stage, the better he plays. That’s what future superstars tend to do. Most agree the Bears got a good one. The question is how good?
At least one man thinks he’ll be great, and it won’t take long for him to prove it. Following the end of the draft, NFL Total Access took time to assess which teams did well and not so well. Former GM Charlie Casserly, who won a Super Bowl with Washington, was a big fan of the Bears. So much, in fact, he made a surprising statement to open up his monologue.
Roquan Smith will be Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018
Wow. That would certainly be something. If Smith were to win Rookie of the Year, that would make him the ninth inside linebacker to win the award since 2000. He would be joining some elite company too. That list includes Luke Kuechly, Patrick Willis, Jonathan Vilma and of course Urlacher himself. He would also be the fourth Bears player to do it along with Urlacher, Mark Carrier, and Wally Chambers.
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That shows just how much confidence Casserly has in the kid, and it’s well-founded. Watch the tape long enough and it’s clear there are few holes in Smith’s game. Escaping his presence is almost impossible for an offense. Beating him isn’t just about physical talent. It’s also about overcoming his mind. His intelligence and awareness are second to none.
That’s often what people overlooked about Urlacher, Lewis, and Willis. Sure they were great athletes, but their domination came through knowing exactly what the opposing offense was going to do. Smith is in that same mold. Having a guy like him in the middle changes the entire complexion of a defense.
It likely won’t take long for people to see just how much.
