Ravens LB Roquan Smith is in a class of his own: Film Breakdown
In this film breakdown, we take a look at Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith, who has been arguably the best linebacker in the NFL since arriving in Baltimore last season.
Roquan Smith does just about everything right, with instant play recognition, incredible tackling skills, top tier block shedding ability, and great coverage skills, that make him a threat literally everywhere on the field.
Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith Film Breakdown
Disclaimer: The following is a transcript of a YouTube video titled “Ravens LB Roquan Smith is in a Class of his Own: Film Breakdown” The content is for informational purposes only and was originally presented in video format.
Roquan Smith is one of the two best linebackers in the NFL. I think he and Fred Warner are in a tier by themselves. And ever since he came to Baltimore, Roquan's been one of those players that just does everything at a high level. There aren't very many holes you can poke in his game. Right now, he's PFF's highest graded linebacker in the NFL, second in coverage, fourth in run defense.
And he's on pace to break Ray Lewis' record for most tackles by a Ravens player in a single season. He has almost immediate play recognition and the speed to track down ball carriers from any point on the field. Even though he's undersized for a linebacker, that has no impact on his ability to shed and fight through blocks. He's always been a good tackler, but this year he's got a career low missed tackle rate at 3. 4%.
He's an elite cover linebacker in terms of awareness and movement skills. He has the fourth highest forcing completion rate at 21% and the 7th lowest yards per cover snap. And on top of that, he has 15 pressures and four sacks since he joined the Ravens. So he impacts every phase of the game at a high level and defensive player of the year is basically a pass rushing award. But if I was a voter, Roquan Smith would be one of the front runners so far. I want to start out with pass coverage because that's probably the aspect of Roquan's game that's most impressive.
He has a rare ability to feel out routes that are developing behind him in zone coverage. On this play the Cleveland Browns are running a three man concept to the left side of the field. They've got a dig route over the middle, a hitch route, and then a flat. And the Ravens really have two players to cover these three routes. If the flat route influences Kyle Hamilton, the hitch will be open. If the hitch influences Roquan Smith, then the dig will be open behind him.
But Roquan widens out to take away the hitch and then reads Dorian Thompson-Robinson's eyes, slides in front of the dig route and should've gotten an interception. He got an interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year on a very similar play where he's able to just feel out the route developing behind him, read the quarterback's eyes, jump in front of the passing window. These plays look like bad throws from the quarterback's perspective, which they are.
But the reason they're making these throws is because most NFL linebackers just spot drop and cover grass. When quarterbacks see a linebacker dropping into a hook zone and kind of widening out, they have an expectation based on experience playing against the bottom 80% of linebackers that he's gonna stay in that same position. But when you're going up against a linebacker like Roquan Smith who's seen every route combination and who can cover a lot of ground laterally, you're going to get a lot of interceptions or almost interceptions where the quarterback just wasn't expecting him to be there.
Another play from the Browns game, the Ravens are in cover six, which is cover two on one side, cover four on the other side. To the cover four side, the Browns are running a pin concept, which is a hitch route with a dig route over the top. The hitch route is going to hold this hook defender, and then you've got a dig route against outside leverage, which should be coming open over the middle of the field. But Roquan Smith's playing the middle zone in cover two.
There's nothing to the left side of the field developing over the middle, so he can just rob this dig route from the backside. DTR should probably let this go about a second earlier, but this is incredible range in reaction time from Roquan Smith to break up this pass. Right here the Steelers are running a mesh concept with two overlapping drag routes. Great job by Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith to pass this off.
Kenny Pickett has to break out of the pocket, so he's a little bit late getting this ball out, but Roquan has the speed and pursuit to catch up with this route and make the tackle. When you talk about instant reaction time, this is the perfect example. The Browns are running a slip screen. At the exact moment Jerome Ford starts to flare out on this route and the O line disengages and works to set up their blocks, Roquan Smith makes a straight line directly to where the ball is going to be thrown, gets there with perfect timing, and makes the tackle for loss. Right here, Darnell Washington is going to chip and then delay release into this sit route over the middle.
Roquan actually gets here like a half second too early, but Darnell Washington's big enough that it doesn't move him off his spot and he doesn't draw a DPI. And then at the catch point, he just rakes through the receiver's hands and knocks the ball loose.You can see right here he's covering this stick route against Dalton Schultz. Unlike most linebackers, he can actually stay with tight ends at the route break. He does a good job contesting it and then the slot corner comes in and finishes the pass breakup. Looking at his run defense, once again, he's pretty much the complete package.
He has sideline to sideline speed, he doesn't miss tackles, he's great at shedding blocks, and he has the awareness and play recognition to set up plays for himself. Right here the Steelers are running a toss play. Initially Roquan Smith works away from the B Gap, and starts to engage with this block from the tight end. Najee Harris reads that, sees that he has a wide open B gap, but Roquan's able to stop his momentum, flash back into the B gap, and make the tackle. Right here the Browns are running one back power where they're pulling the guard across the formation. Roquan just tosses the puller behind him.
Great job by Arthur Maulet of shedding this block from the receiver. And then they're right there waiting for the running back in the new gap. Right here the Steelers are running wide zone. Michael Pierce is able to establish outside leverage on this reach block. And Roquan is kinda flashing into this A gap. That gives Najee the read to cut it back, and you got the left tackle coming off this overtake to hopefully block Roquan Smith, but he slides underneath the block attempt to make the tackle.
So he's basically able to cover three gaps in one play. Another outside zone attempt right here, you've got this right guard climbing to the second level to block Roquan Smith. His ability to change directions in open space just gives him such an advantage over second level blockers. He undercuts it, swipes through the block, and makes the shoestring tackle. On this play against the Indianapolis Colts. The Ravens are running a gap exchange with the Edge defender slanting into the B Gap and Roquan Smith taking the C gap. Great job here to just knock down the arms of this blocker and loop back inside for the tackle.
For most of his career, Roquan's been in that top 15 linebacker range, but it's amazing the difference in his level of play the minute he left Chicago and came to Baltimore, and really from week, nine of last year, which is when he got traded, I think he's been the best linebacker in the NFL. And it's had a major effect on Patrick Queen also. He's been putting a lot fewer vulnerable point of attack situations. Roquan Smith is doing a lot of the dirty work as far as shedding blocks and Queen can just play fast and downhill.
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