To the delight of the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff, Roquan Smith has elevated his game across the board this season.
Smith has helped out Baltimore’s defense in coverage. His keen closing speed and sheer prowess as a tackler have added another dimension to the Ravens’ well-rounded pass defense.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith boasts career highs in several coverage stats. For one, he has tallied six pass breakups through 12 games played on the year, which is more than he logged over the past two seasons combined (four).
Smith also sits in a tie with Jacksonville Jaguars’ Devin Lloyd for the most forced incompletions among linebackers this season with an astounding seven.
Overall, Smith has earned a coverage grade of 90.1 from PFF, which ranks just behind New York Jets’ Quincy Williams for the highest such grade among qualified linebackers on the season.
The Ravens acquired Smith last year with the hope that he would go on and anchor their front seven, but they sure did not expect to see him blossom so quickly as a defender in coverage. He simply continues to prove that he is among the more versatile linebackers in the NFL today.
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