Roquan Smith Draws Comparison to Ravens Legend

"[Roquan Smith] brought the Ray Lewis juice back for our generation," Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "The leadership, his poise, his aggression, we needed that from our linebacker – from both of them, him and Patrick [Queen]. They are doing a wonderful job. But 'Ro' [Roquan Smith], he's just unbelievable. We needed that, and I'm glad we got him."

For Smith, Lewis has been an inspiration to his career. Smith said Lewis brings him back to when he was a kid and when he watched highlights of him growing up. 

"I think [he's] the greatest to ever do it," Smith said of Lewis. "I just remember, even as a kid, well before I knew I was going to ever play for the Ravens, being able to just watch his hype videos, watch his speeches and things like that, and it always inspired me, since [I was] a little one. To be able to just have those personal conversations, it takes me back."

Smith and Lewis' paths to the Ravens were different. Whereas Lewis was drafted by Baltimore in 1996, Smith began his career with the Chicago Bears in 2018. In the middle of the 2022 season, he got traded to the Ravens for a second-round pick. 

Much like Lewis, Smith's leadership, whether it's pregame speeches or with his play, has been vital to the best defense in football. The Ravens allowed the fewest points per game (16.5), led the league in sacks (60) and were tied for the most turnovers with the New York Giants (31). 

Smith led the team with 158 tackles, and he had five tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, eight passes defended and one interception plus a forced fumble in his first full season in Baltimore. While the two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl didn't play for the Ravens until last season, head coach John Harbaugh said Baltimore is where Smith was always meant to be. 

"It's definitely been a perfect fit [and] a perfect match," Harbaugh said. "He's just been himself. He was always a Raven – he just didn't know until he got here. It's been a great fit. I think he does make everybody around him better, to your point. The greatest players tend to do that."  

Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald echoed Harbaugh's sentiment on Smith's impact on the defense. He also noted the All-Pro's impact, both in his play with his leadership and how his playing style raises the level of play from his teammates.

"When we need something to be said, he knows what to say and when. I think what's unique about him is what shows up on the field has backed up all the talk," Mike Macdonald. "When you play this style of football he plays, it's contagious. The guys see it, and it pops off the screen. We talk about expectations and playing like a Raven – that's what it is. You don't need to explain it. You just show it, and the guys understand it."

Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't as quick to draw the comparison from Smith to Lewis, noting that they're each their own person and unique in their own way. Though, through his nine seasons in the NFL, OBJ holds Smith in high regard. 

"To have somebody like that – who's a leader, who brings that intensity and tenacity – I love it," OBJ said. "He's one of my favorite teammates I've ever had in my entire life. On and off the field, he's just a great dude, a tremendous talent, and [he does it] with a respect to his own. Like, he's building his own name and his own legacy. 

Part of Lewis' legacy was his ability to lead the Ravens to the two Super Bowl victories in their franchise history. Smith has his first shot to earn a Super Bowl berth on Sunday, though he and the Ravens face the tall task of having to overcome the defending champions, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at 3 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium. 

The Ravens' defense has often found a way to reach another level against some of the NFL's elite. Against a two-time MVP and Super Bowl winner in Mahomes, the Ravens may have to dig deeper than they ever have this season if they're going to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.

And with a Super Bowl berth and their playoff lives on the line, Smith and the Ravens are more than ready to do whatever it takes to punch their ticket to Las Vegas. 

"As a human being, if something is in your way and you've been dreaming for something your entire life, busting your tail day in and day out for something, are you going to allow something to stop you?" Smith said. "You're going to give everything in your human power to make sure that that's not the case. That's how we look at it, and I know we're going to play that way every given play."