2018 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears select linebacker Roquan Smith
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bears solidified the middle of their defense by selecting Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith in the first round.
The Chicago Bears needed a day-one playmaker on defense in the first round. They got their man in linebacker Roquan Smith out of Georgia.
The top of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft went a whole lot differently than most thought it would, with the Bears seeing a chance to potentially trade up for Bradley Chubb, but they stayed put, kept their picks and brought home the best inside linebacker in the draft.
Smith’s only real knock is that he is “undersized” for a linebacker — that’s about it. He’s freakishly fast and posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.51 seconds at the NFL combine. Smith is a former high school wideout who regularly races down running backs with ease.
This is the exact type of player Chicago needed to come away with in the draft. Kudos to Ryan Pace for sticking at no. 8 even after guard Quenton Nelson went off the board to the Colts at no. 6. He could have traded back and hauled in a couple more picks, but he knew the importance of nailing this first round — and he did.
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Smith will come in and likely start next to Danny Trevathan on the inside, giving the Bears two dynamic linebackers in the middle. Throw in Leonard Floyd on the outside, and the Bears have quite a bit of speed at the second level.
One of the best parts about Smith is his ability to get lateral in a hurry. In today’s NFL, offenses feature a lot of movement in the back field at times and Smith will give the Bears someone who can diagnose a play and get to the ball quickly. He covers a lot of space in a very short amount of time.
In his last season with the Bulldogs, Smith amassed a whopping 137 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, a pair of passes defended and two fumble recoveries. The man does it all.
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For the Bears, this pick couldn’t be more perfect. They got the next great inside linebacker in a long line of historically great players. Smith is a day-one starter and is going to make an impact right away.