Ryan Pace completed his fourth NFL draft as Chicago Bears general manager and after a successful 2017 class that included Mitchell Trubisky, Tarik Cohen and Eddie Jackson, he's been praised for having an even better performance this April.
It starts at the top, where first-round pick Roquan Smith is expected to have a massive impact at inside linebacker in Chicago's 3-4 defense.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith's impact will be so dynamic that he's their pick to win the NFL's 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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Smith’s coverage skills are elite when it comes to college prospects and he has the ability to make plays in coverage that few NFL linebackers can. Crucially, he also has the range and instincts to make stops all over the field even if he isn’t a 250-pound player. He had the second most defensive stops (74) in all of college football last season and saw his PFF grade get better each season of his college career.
In Chicago’s defense, Smith should have the freedom to impact all areas of the field and the coverage skills to make plays in front of a much improved secondary. If the big plays fall the right way he could make a big case for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Despite being undersized by traditional linebacker standards, Smith (6-1, 236) should become a tackling machine under Vic Fangio. He has elite instincts and his burst to the ball rivals some of the NFL's top veterans at the position.
Smith exploded in 2017 with 137 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks for Georgia. He ended the season as the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year.
There's no denying Smith's superstar upside. He's beginning his rookie year with extremely high expectations, and if there's any player with the mental and physical ability to meet them, it's Smith.