Do Ravens Have Best LB in NFL?
The Baltimore Ravens have had a long history of outstanding linebackers, and current star Roquan Smith ensures that legacy carries on to this day.
Smith, 27, was already a force early in his career with the Chicago Bears, the team that drafted him at No. 8 overall in 2018. Since arriving in Baltimore via a midseason trade in 2022, though, he's elevated his game substantially. In 25 games wearing purple and black, Smith has accounted for 244 total tackles and earned first-team All-Pro selections in each of the past two seasons.
After several elite seasons in a row, Smith has a strong argument for being the very best off-ball linebacker in the league. For Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports, Smith ranks as the second-best at his position, only behind San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner.
"Smith was a very good linebacker with the Bears, but man, he's evolved into a different animal with the Ravens," Dajani writes. "His 158 combined tackles last year were the most by a Raven since Ray Lewis in 2003, even though it was Smith's lowest tackle total since 2020! In Week 10 against the Browns, Smith recorded a whopping 21 combined tackles, which set a career-high. Then, in the AFC Championship loss to the Chiefs, Smith led his team in tackles with 16.
"He earned his fourth-straight All-Pro selection, and second-straight Pro Bowl bid after helping the Ravens defense become the first unit all-time to lead or co-lead the NFL in scoring defense, sacks and takeaways."
Warner, who also entered the league in 2018, has a very similar resume to that of Smith. They're both tackling machines, but have slight differences in their game to make them stand out. For instance, Smith seems to be better at getting after the quarterback (20 career sacks to Warner's nine), but Warner is better at stripping the ball (11 forced fumbles to Smith's two).
Really, choosing between them is splitting hairs, and both of them have valid cases for the best at their position.
Additionally, two former Ravens ranked quite highly on the list. C.J. Moseley, now with the New York Jets, and Patrick Queen, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, came in at No. 6 and No. 8 respectively.
JON ALFANO