When taking a look back at the blockbuster trade between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears back in 2022, it is hard to argue that acquiring Roquan Smith for a second- and fifth-round pick wasn’t a huge win for the organization.
Yet, even after being named to a third straight Pro Bowl in 2024, one NFL Analyst believes that Smith is a strong bounce-back candidate season in 2025.
Roquan Smith Named a Bounce-Back Candidate Entering 2025 NFL Season
When a player records 154 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception in a season, it can be a bit difficult to fully understand what he is bouncing-back from — but PFF NFL Analyst Dalton Wasserman believes Roquan Smith could have an even better year in 2025.
Wasserman wrote, “The loss of Patrick Queen clearly affected Roquan Smith early last season, particularly in coverage. Through Week 10, Smith ranked outside the top 60 qualified linebackers in both overall and coverage grade.”
PFF is well known for their player grading system, which takes into account multiple aspects of a player’s performance that don’t always show up in a common box score.
Wasserman referencing Smith’s poor coverage grades in comparison to prior years to start the 2024 NFL season feels appropriate considering the early struggles we saw from the Ravens’ defense through the first 10 weeks.
Wasserman added, “Like the rest of Baltimore’s coverage unit, he turned things around down the stretch, earning an excellent 81.8 coverage grade from Week 11 onward. If he can carry that momentum into 2025, Smith should return to the level of production he delivered during his first two seasons in Baltimore.”
Wasserman mentioned the early adjustment period last season that took place for Smith with Patrick Queen no longer on the roster, but it wasn’t exactly like Roquan’s production fell off of a cliff last year either.