15 Most Important Bears of 2018: No. 7 – Roquan Smith

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Roquan Smith represents so much for the Chicago Bears. He's projected to be the next stud linebacker in a long history of great ones at the position in Chicago. Assuming he isn't kept sidelined because of an extended contract dispute, he'll be an instant-impact starter as early as Week One of the regular season.

Smith, 21, was drafted eighth overall because he has a very specific set of skills. Namely, he can run down the fastest of running backs, cover the quickest of tight ends and provide an underrated pass rush from many different places on the field. He'll line up next to Danny Trevathan to form one of the more talented linebacker tandems in the NFL. In fact, they could very well be the best by season's end.

Smith didn't report with Bears rookies Monday because he has yet to sign his contract. While it's true there's reason for concern whenever a player doesn't report on time, the reality for Smith is that Chicago's training camp is starting a week earlier than normal because the team is participating in this year's Hall of Fame Game.

Bears veterans report on July 19. If Smith is still a no-show, his status will go from contract dispute to official holdout.

Smith is going to be a critical variable in how well the defense plays this year regardless of how long it takes to get him under contract. He's as good a candidate as any to lead all rookies in tackles this season and he could end up the leading tackler on the Bears, too. Smith has the potential to be a five-tool player on defense and can challenge for top billing in several statistical categories in Chicago in 2018.

It's a slippery slope to describe a player as a can't-miss, but Smith is pretty darn close. There will be a lot of No. 58 jerseys in the stands of Soldier Field this year and if he makes good on his lofty expectations, Smith will quickly become a cornerstone piece in this new era of Bears football.

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