The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears to a trade for LB Roquan Smith in exchange for LB A.J. Klein and undisclosed draft picks, executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta announced Tuesday.
"We are excited to announce that we have acquired Roquan via trade with the Bears," DeCosta stated. "Roquan is a player that we have long admired both on and off the field. He fits our culture seamlessly and plays like a Raven at all times. We are confident that Roquan makes our team stronger."
Here are several notes about the 6-1, 232-pound Smith:
- A five-year pro, Smith, 25, has played his entire career with the Chicago Bears (2018-22). He was originally a 2018 first-round (eighth overall) draft pick by the Bears.
- A two-time second-team All-Pro (2020-21), Smith has started 67 of 69 games in which he's appeared, totaling 606 tackles (399 solo), 47 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 20 passes defensed, seven interceptions (one pick-six), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
- Since entering the league in 2018, Smith's 606 total tackles rank second in the league, trailing only Bobby Wagner (656). Smith has recorded at least 100 tackles in each of his first four full seasons and owns a league-high 83 total tackles in 2022. Additionally, his 31 outings with double-digit tackles since entering the league in 2018 are the NFL's second most (Bobby Wagner – 32).
- Smith is one of two players (Shaquille Leonard) since 2018 to record at least 15 sacks and five interceptions.
- Since his 2018 NFL arrival, Smith had led a Bears' defensive unit that ranked No. 3 overall (328.3 ypg) and No. 4 against the pass (212.8 ypg), while permitting the league's fourth-fewest points per game (21.1).
- Smith started all 17 games in 2021, totaling a career-high 163 tackles (95 solo), 12 tackles for loss, three sacks and his first-career pick-six (53 yards), en route to earning second-team All-Pro honors. He led a defensive unit that finished sixth overall (316.7 ypg).
- In 2020, Smith started all 16 contests, posting 139 tackles (98 solo), including a career-high 18 tackles for loss. He added four sacks, seven passes defensed, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, en route to garnering second-team All-Pro honors. Smith finished as the season's only NFL defender to record at least 100 tackles and 10 tackles for loss with multiple sacks and multiple interceptions. Additionally, his 18 tackles for loss were the NFL's second most, trailing only T.J. Watt (23).
- In 2019, Smith started all 12 games in which he appeared, posting 100 tackles (65 solo), five tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defensed and one interception for a Top 10 rush defense (102.0 ypg – ninth) and Top 10 pass defense (221.9 ypg – ninth).
- Smith appeared in all 16 games (14 starts) as a rookie in 2018, tallying 121 tackles (89 solo), eight tackles for loss, a career-high five sacks, five passes defensed and one interception for a Chicago defense that ranked No. 1 against the run (80.0 ypg) and No. 7 against the pass (219.7 ypg). He became one of seven players (Shaquille Leonard – 2018; David Harris – 2007; Brian Urlacher – 2000; Duane Bickett – 1985; Reggie White – 1985 & Ricky Jackson – 1981) in NFL history to record at least 100 tackles and five sacks in a rookie campaign.
- Smith, a Montezuma, Ga., native, prepped collegiately at Georgia, where he was named a unanimous 2017 first-team All-American, the 2017 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and 2017 winner of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's most outstanding linebacker. He was also a 2017 finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award, both of which are presented to the nation's top overall defensive player.
