R1, P8: Roquan Smith, LB - Georgia

[Otis Day]

The next in the long line of great Chicago Bears LBs.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I wanted a pass rusher, but this really was the next best thing ESPECIALLY if Vic Fangio thinks this kid is his Patrick Willis.

I wonder if they go Josh Sweat / Carter / Nwosu EDGE rusher in the second.

Hell - I’d try to trade back into the first to grab Landry at this point.

They just said that the Bears were trying to trade back into the 1st. Howard as bait?

[wab]

I wanted a pass rusher, but this really was the next best thing ESPECIALLY if Vic Fangio thinks this kid is his Patrick Willis.

I wonder if they go Josh Sweat / Carter / Nwosu EDGE rusher in the second.

Hell - I’d try to trade back into the first to grab Landry at this point.

They just said that the Bears were trying to trade back into the 1st. Howard as bait?

Their 2nd and the first 4th would get them to 32.

[UOK]

Eagles traded w/ Ravens. No drama.

[BR0D1E86]

No idea who this guy is but....

https://twitter.com/NFLDraftInsider/sta ... 93664?s=20

[Adipost]

I wanted a pass rusher, but this really was the next best thing ESPECIALLY if Vic Fangio thinks this kid is his Patrick Willis.

Well, Louis Reddick sure does.

[46Blitz]

Slept on it and still like the pick.

Fills a need for now and for tomorrow. Has all the tools and is said he is said to have great leadership skills.

The guy wasn't even on my radar, but I'm very happy with the pick.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Watching more tape on him, a few things stand out;

1. The kid is lightning fast.
2. His tackling technique is nearly flawless.
3. He has a really high football IQ.

I honestly didn't think that the Bears were going to go this route, but I am happy they did. Fangio has to be ecstatic.

[BamaBear09]

If the Dline can keep him clean he will flourish... some of the plays he made in the CFP semifinal in the second half were really impressive. I didn't realize that he is almost exactly the same size as Willis and Bowman...

Plus Landry is still sitting there on the board... rumor is that he has some medical flags that caused him to drop...

[The Marshall Plan]

I went to go see Avengers last night so I missed the first round.

Over the past couple of weeks I had flip flopped between Smith, Davenport and Vea. I’m really excited. Of the three, Smith has the least amount of downside and was a very safe but needed and good pick. We potentially have our future leader on defense which is sorely needed. Like someone else already said here, he truly was the BPA on the board. I am also glad Nelson was gone before we picked.

For round 2, we still need to focus on BPA. Don’t draft an EDGE for the sake of drafting an EDGE.

[Rakshir]

I'm glad we got somebody who can step in and play Day 1 and be an impact player. That was my hope going in, and sounds like he's all that and maybe more.

[mmmc_35]

Well Smith is a really good player. While I still think Pace had few cards he should have played (Trade Back/ select a different player), he didn't get a bad player.

I do wonder what the medical flag report was about.

[Hiphopopotamos]

Well Smith is a really good player. While I still think Pace had few cards he should have played (Trade Back/ select a different player), he didn't get a bad player.

I do wonder what the medical flag report was about.

Considering what Oakland got to move back (a 3rd and a 5th) - I just don't think there was any value in trading back.

[mmmc_35]

Smith's medical

draftanalyst.com/linebacker-boards-flux

Smith Highlights

https://youtu.be/HZDD_u2vowk

NFLDS scouting report

[mmmc_35]

Considering what Oakland got to move back (a 3rd and a 5th) - I just don't think there was any value in trading back.

Eh I still would have.

[Boris13c]

I like this pick and think he is going to step right into the starting lineup and help right out of the box

I wanted Quenton Nelson (fuck you Colts), but am happy the Bears got a defensive stud

[LacertineForest]

Very happy with the pick. Would have been fine with Nelson, but I really felt like we needed to beef up our defensive front-seven given our lack of pass rush and injury issues at the linebacker position. Glad we addressed one of those in a huge way with the first pick - now I'm hoping someone like Landry will fall to us today (assuming his medical is okay).

[sturf]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

[IotaNet]

Kid wasn’t my first choice but he’s being universally hailed as a great pick. And you gotta love that Bears picked the “Butkus Award” winner.

[G08]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

Bingo. I can find a lot of comfort in that. If Fangio thinks this kid can be his Patrick Willis it's a home run pick.

I wish he was bigger (YES WAB I KNOW HE'S THE SAME SIZE AS DANNY TREVATHAN ) but it is what it is.

[wab]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

Bingo. I can find a lot of comfort in that. If Fangio thinks this kid can be his Patrick Willis it's a home run pick.

I wish he was bigger (YES WAB I KNOW HE'S THE SAME SIZE AS DANNY TREVATHAN ) but it is what it is.

AT LEAST HE'S NOT A 6'3 LEFT TACKLE

[Boris13c]

Kid wasn’t my first choice but he’s being universally hailed as a great pick. And you gotta love that Bears picked the “Butkus Award” winner.

that is cool... and hopefully a very good omen

[Mikefive]

Gotta say... I just love the way the guy tackles. He grabs you, wraps up and if he can, he throws you down. You don't draw it up any better than that.

I never saw the guy get interviewed before. Talk about a clear headed, leadership guy. Wow. Travathan will show him the ropes to start off. And then that defense is his.

[G08]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

Bingo. I can find a lot of comfort in that. If Fangio thinks this kid can be his Patrick Willis it's a home run pick.

I wish he was bigger (YES WAB I KNOW HE'S THE SAME SIZE AS DANNY TREVATHAN ) but it is what it is.

AT LEAST HE'S NOT A 6'3 LEFT TACKLE

SIX THREE AND 7/8 OF AN INCH!

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

Bingo. I can find a lot of comfort in that. If Fangio thinks this kid can be his Patrick Willis it's a home run pick.

I wish he was bigger (YES WAB I KNOW HE'S THE SAME SIZE AS DANNY TREVATHAN ) but it is what it is.

He's like, the EXACT same size. Kinda weird.

[wab]

The way I'm looking at this is that all of the linebackers, inside and outside, were still on the board. That means to me this was almost certainly Fangio's top rated linebacker. So I have to trust that.

Bingo. I can find a lot of comfort in that. If Fangio thinks this kid can be his Patrick Willis it's a home run pick.

I wish he was bigger (YES WAB I KNOW HE'S THE SAME SIZE AS DANNY TREVATHAN ) but it is what it is.

He's like, the EXACT same size. Kinda weird.

Same arm length, same hand size....it’s uncanny. Smith is faster though.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Gotta say... I just love the way the guy tackles. He grabs you, wraps up and if he can, he throws you down. You don't draw it up any better than that.

I never saw the guy get interviewed before. Talk about a clear headed, leadership guy. Wow. Travathan will show him the ropes to start off. And then that defense is his.

It was the one thing that I noticed right off the bat. His tackling technique is flawless. I never saw him hit a ball carrier without wrapping him up, and sliding down the legs.

[Hiphopopotamos]

Gotta say... I just love the way the guy tackles. He grabs you, wraps up and if he can, he throws you down. You don't draw it up any better than that.

I never saw the guy get interviewed before. Talk about a clear headed, leadership guy. Wow. Travathan will show him the ropes to start off. And then that defense is his.

It was the one thing that I noticed right off the bat. His tackling technique is flawless. I never saw him hit a ball carrier without wrapping him up, and sliding down the legs.

Smith's high school coach was on 670 and he was asked about the thing that Smith improved the most on since he first saw him as a freshman. His coach said that he was a skinny kid who wasn't afraid to tackle but didn't have the bulk to punish kids when he did tackle. He said that when he got to Georgia and he got into a S&C program there he put on 30+ pounds and realized that he had the size to 'get nasty' when tackling.

Makes me think that Smith had to have good technique as a high schooler if only because he was a smaller guy.

Coach said that in the championship game Smith had 16 carries for 274 yards and 4 TDs on offense, and 24 tackles including 7.5 TFL on defense.

[BR0D1E86]

Wow... the play in this tweet... that’s some closing speed.

https://twitter.com/sportsmockery/statu ... 48097?s=20

[Mikefive]

Good article about speed LBs in today's NFL and uses Smith as an example.