Roquan Smith has already established himself as the best draft pick of the 2010s. Kyle Fuller deserves to be in the conversation, but when it comes to sustained success, the 8th overall pick in 2018 is already atop the list. As the Chicago Bears have gone through their latest roller coaster from winning the division to one of the league’s worst teams, the one constant is Smith. He’s been brilliant from the moment he stepped on the field for them.
People will mention the lack of Pro Bowl nods. That doesn’t matter. Pro Bowls are popularity contests. The fact Smith is a two-time second-team All-Pro is the first indication he is pretty good. Then CBS Sports decided to help spread the word. They posted a stat comparison on Twitter of his 2020-2021 seasons. Only one other player in NFL history has matched it in terms of tackles and tackles for a loss. Some people may know the name.
Last two players with 300+ tackles and 30+ tackles for loss in a 2-year span in NFL history:
Roquan Smith (2020-2021)
Ray Lewis (1999-2000)That's called dominance 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZluavM3M7J
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 19, 2022
That isn’t a bad thing when you’re compared to Ray Lewis.
The former Baltimore Ravens icon has an argument for being the best inside/middle linebacker in NFL history. He went to 14 Pro Bowls, won Defensive Player of the Year, was a Super Bowl MVP, and has two rings. That Smith is on the same tier as him from a production standpoint is hard to imagine. Yet anybody paying attention could see it was trending that way. Just go back and look at his rookie season.
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Brian Urlacher set the franchise record with 124 tackles during his first year in Chicago. Smith came close to breaking that mark with 121. They might be different athletes, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Smith makes plays and has only gotten better. He has 524 tackles, 14 sacks, and five interceptions through four seasons. That works out to 1,310 tackles, 35 sacks, and 13 interceptions over ten seasons. The scariest part is he’d only be 30 years old by the end of that tenth season.
Roquan Smith will be in the Canton conversation if he stays healthy.
It is amazing to learn how stacked the Bears’ linebacker legacy is. Bill George, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Urlacher are all in the Hall of Fame. Smith could be the fifth interior linebacker to get a gold jacket if this trend holds for the next few years. No other franchise comes remotely close to that. It also comes down to how committed he is. Several players are opting to retire young these days. Smith may look to secure his lucrative extension, play a few more seasons, and then exit the game before his body gets too beat up.
Only Roquan Smith can answer that question. If it’s about greatness and legacy, he will go for as long as he can. He had mostly good injury fortune thus far outside of his four-game setback in 2019. The next big hurdle is the lucrative extension coming his way. There is no doubt he’ll get paid big money. What isn’t certain is whether that will impact his performance.
Many players tend to lose their edge after getting their money.
Smith doesn’t seem like that type of guy, but it’s worth keeping in mind. The good news is he’s now entering a defense that is famous for elevating linebackers. Derrick Brooks, Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Darius Leonard can attest to that. If Smith embraces the transition, he could be better than ever.
Enough of the fluff Lambo! We’re not kids. We’re not eating PB sandwiches loaded with fluff. Give us something worth chewing on.
Hopefully he gets his first Pro Bowl this year. Long overdue
A bit early to crown him an all time great but I sure like what I have seen so far. I remember a ND game against GA a few years back. There was this Smith guy who seemed to be in on every play. So glad he’s a Bear. I hope he learns this defense inside out and makes everybody else better.
Why bother coming to this site if you dont like the content. Get a life and read the shit articles at espn chicago
Any time you see the word “proof” in the headline you know Erik Lambert is about to provide absolutely no proof of anything