Roquan Smith is an NFL linebacker. Smith was born in Georgia, attending Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia. He then opted to stay home to play college football at the University of Georgia.
As a Georgia Bulldog, Smith played for two Head Coaches, Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. In his 2015 freshman year, Smith played in 12 games. He ramped up as a sophomore, starting 10 out of 13 games, and recording 96 tackles. The next season, the Associated Press named Smith the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He won the Butkus Award for top college linebacker and was MVP of the SEC Championship Game. Smith then declared early for the 2018 NFL Draft.
Roquan Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft. As a rookie, Smith had 121 tackles and 5 sacks while getting named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. His 2019 season ended early due to a torn pectoral in Week 14. In 2020, Smith had multiple interceptions in Week 16 as Chicago made the playoffs that season. However, he missed the playoff game due to injury. Smith recorded 163 combined tackles in a 17-game 2021 season. He was named a second-team All-Pro in both 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, Smith had contract disputes with the Bears. He requested a trade prior to the season due to the lack of a contract extension. Eventually, he played in eight games for Chicago before being dealt to the Baltimore Ravens. Splitting the season between Chicago and Baltimore, Smith earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. Baltimore signed Smith to a five-year, $100 million extension in January 2023, making him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL at the time.
Smith is a cornerstone of Baltimore’s defense with a contract that will keep him a Raven for several years. One of the best linebackers in the league, expect him to be in All-Pro conversations as the Ravens build their linebacking corps around him.
