2023 marks PressBox’s seventh annual Best Of edition celebrating the top people, performances and moments of the year.
Best Raven
When the Ravens begin practice, Roquan Smith is easy to spot: He’s the one sprinting across the field to the defensive area. He does this every day.
“It’s just my approach to the day, just going out there alive,” Smith said. “[I’m] just happy to be out there and let the guys know every single day, I’m ready to attack the day.”
From his inside linebacker spot at the heart of the Ravens’ 3-4 defense, Smith attacks opposing offenses with the same gusto.
Head coach John Harbaugh has called the 2022 trade for Smith “one of the all-time great trades that we’ve made,” and it’s hard to dispute that. Immediately upon his arrival after the deadline deal with the Chicago Bears, Smith proved that his physical, take-no-prisoners style and thunderous hitting were ideally suited for an organization built on defensive swagger.
Smith was in the final year of his rookie contract when he was traded to Baltimore. The team and Smith, 26, worked out a long-term extension by the end of the season.
Smith earned his first Pro Bowl nod after that season, when he set a career high with 169 tackles overall, including 86 with the Ravens.
Smith is on pace for a new career high in tackles this year, and the defense revolves around him. It’s Smith who sends the team into the locker room with a fiery speech at the end of pregame warmups. It’s Smith who infuses the defense, and the team, with energy.
“Roquan is a force multiplier,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “He lifts everybody else up.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
For more Best Of, visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.
Plus:
