Roquan Daevon Smith (born April 8, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Smith became the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Butkus Award.
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Early life
Smith was introduced to organized football at the age of six. In the years to follow his youth football coaches had to keep a copy of his birth certificate on file to dispute claims that he was too old to play. He attended Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia, where he played football for the Bulldogs. He originally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play college football but changed his commitment to the University of Georgia.
College career
While at the University of Georgia, Smith played college football under head coaches Mark Richt and Kirby Smart. As a true freshman at Georgia in 2015, Smith played in 12 games and recorded 20 tackles. As a sophomore in 2016, he started 10 of 13 games, recording 95 tackles.
In 2017, Smith was named MVP of the SEC Championship Game, as well as SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. He became the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Butkus Award. Smith decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and entered the 2018 NFL draft.
Professional career
Chicago Bears
Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
His contract signing was significantly delayed due to contract disputes between the Bears and Smith's agency CAA Football over language in his rookie contract stating whether his guaranteed money would be reclaimed by the team if he was suspended due to the NFL's new rule outlawing contact leading with the helmet. CAA argued for wording that would protect Smith's guaranteed earnings, while the Bears preferred for decisions to be determined by the league, a situation that was exacerbated by skepticism surrounding the rule and the frequency of tackling in Smith's role. On August 14, the Bears signed Smith to a fully guaranteed four-year, $18.47 million contract that included a signing bonus of $11.51 million. He was the last first-round pick in his draft class to sign with his team.
In his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, Smith recorded a sack on the Packers' quarterback DeShone Kizer on his first career snap. In Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Smith made 13 tackles. In Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills, Smith made 13 tackles as the Bears won the game 41–9. In Week 10 against the Detroit Lions, he made 10 tackles and sacked quarterback Matthew Stafford, while the Bears won 34–22, while also leading the team in tackles in both of these weeks. In Week 12 against the Lions, he made 11 tackles and sacked quarterback Stafford in a 23–16 win.
In Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, Smith made six tackles and recorded his first career interception off Jared Goff and returned the ball 22 yards to the four-yard line as the Bears won 15–6. In Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, Smith made 10 tackles in a 24–17 win. In Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers, Smith made nine tackles and sacked Nick Mullens in a 14–9 win. On December 30, during a Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings, Smith had six tackles as the Bears defeated the Vikings 24–10.
On January 6, 2019, in the Bears' 15–16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a Wild Card playoff game, Smith led the team with seven tackles and made an interception off Nick Foles.
Smith finished the season with 121 tackles, five sacks, five passes defended, and one interception. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He was selected as Pro Bowl alternate.
Baltimore Ravens
On October 31, 2022, Smith was traded to the Ravens for A. J. Klein, a 2023 second round pick, and a 2023 fifth round pick. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December. He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors. He finished the 2022 season with 169 total tackles (103 solo), 4.5 sacks, three interceptions, and six passes defended.
On January 10, 2023, Smith signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Ravens, including $45 million fully guaranteed with $60 million in total guarantees, making him the highest-paid linebacker in the league. The deal was also notable because Smith does not have an agent and negotiated it himself. He was ranked 24th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
In May 2023, Smith changed his number to '0', becoming the first Raven ever to wear that number. On November 12, 2023, Smith was credited with a career-high 21 tackles (14 solo) in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. He and Ray Lewis are the only Ravens in franchise history to record at least 20 tackles in a single game. Smith also became the first NFL defensive player in 2023 to record at least 20 tackles in a single game. He finished the 2023 season with 1.5 sacks, 158 total tackles (84 solo), one interception, and eight passes defended. Smith was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl towards the end of the season. He earned first team All-Pro honors for the second straight season. He was ranked 19th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.
Smith was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl on January 2, 2025. In addition, he earned first team All-Pro honors for the third consecutive season. He had 1.5 sacks, 154 total tackles (81 solo), one interception, four passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in the 2024 season. He was ranked 40th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025.
In Week 2, Smith recorded 15 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and recovered a fumble and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown in a 41–17 win over the Cleveland Browns, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He recorded 130 total tackles (76 solo), three passes defended, and one fumble return for a touchdown in the 2025 season.
Smith was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl in December 2025.
Career statistics
Personal life
On May 8, 2018, nearly two weeks after being drafted, it was reported that Smith's car was burgled in Athens, Georgia, where a team-issued iPad along with some of Smith's personal belongings, including his college jerseys, helmet, and awards, were stolen from his car. However, the next day, the stolen items were recovered.