It did not take long for Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith to emerge as both a leader and a favorite within Baltimore’s locker room. Smith’s teammates on the defensive side of the ball have continued to rave about him ever since Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta went out to acquire him from the Chicago Bears ahead of last season’s NFL trade deadline.

Even those on the Ravens offense have been left in awe of Smith’s quality production and sheer versatility on the field. Among them, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can just tip his hat to the one-time Pro Bowler, especially after the arduous duels that he has already had with him in practice.

"Going against 'Rohan' in practice is like in a game, but [I'm] not getting tackled," Jackson said during a press conference on Wednesday. "He's communicating to the guys, 'Oh, this might be coming up.'

"I'd say he's a great studier, because he calls out plays — not ours, but he's calling them out when I'm watching the scout team go up. He's a great linebacker, and it helps us out a lot."

Jackson did not get an opportunity to be teammates with longtime Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but the keen impact that Smith has exerted on Baltimore's defense this season has reminded him a bit of the Pro Football Hall of Famer

"I think our defense allowed a certain amount of points to be scored— probably like 13 points or something like that," Jackson said. "That's the effect he had — just barely [any] points being scored on us. Everyone was playing fundamentally sound — speed to the ball. He's like a Ray Lewis for us."

It sure must mean quite a lot for Smith to hear such a compliment, especially taking into account that he spent time during the offseason watching film with Lewis.

Smith has managed to bolster his game in more ways than one over the early stages of the 2023 campaign. For one, he has added another dimension to Baltimore’s pass defense, allowing 65 receiving yards and a 76.3 passer rating while in coverage through four games played this season.

Incredible stat proves why Ravens’ Roquan Smith is a dark horse contender for DPOY

Strong start to the season.