Chicago Bears: Was this player snubbed from CBS top 25 under 25?

The Chicago Bears are once again disrespected. This time from an individual standpoint. This player should be a top 25 player under 25 in the NFL.

The Chicago Bears have plenty of young players on the roster. Not a single one of them found his way on the 25 players under 25 list that CBS came up with. Now, I might be biased, but I find it difficult that one particular player is not on this list.

When we look at the Chicago Bears’ current roster, only a few names stand out who would even fall into this category. Before we get into those names, we need to look at what CBS analyst Sean Wagner-McGough based his choices on. He used three main categories to determine who makes the list.

1. What the player has done thus far
2. The player’s future projection
3. The player’s positional value

What the Player has done thus far

Easily the most important of the three criteria used in my opinion. Success at this point is important in determining who is the best of the best. We cannot gauge a player’s impact and importance if he is not proving his worth on the field.

The player’s future projection

This is important too though and a big reason why I am even bringing up the player who was left off the list. Sometimes injuries happen and that can cause an issue in analyst’s minds on ability. The thing is, this player has still proven himself enough on the field, and coupled with his future projection he should be on this list. This is not a DeVante Parker situation.

The player’s positional value

This is subjective and not really sure I agree with putting too much weight on it. Running backs are devalued in the NFL, but many make the list (as they should). Tarik Cohen is undervalued in my opinion and he is under 25. He is not the guy I was disappointed did not make the list, but he also brings extra positional value as a top punt returner. Did that not count?

Why Roquan Smith deserves this honor

Instead of Cohen, I was disappointed that Roquan Smith did not make the list. Despite not starting as a rookie in 2018 (due to a contract holdout), Smith proved his impact early and forced the Chicago Bears hand into more snaps and eventually the starting lineup. He missed time in 2019, but still started in 12 games. What about his stats though? Does he deserve to be on this list?

In 2018, Roquan Smith finished the year with 89 solo tackles. That amount was good enough to be 8th in the NFL. His stats in this area fell in 2019, but that was due to only playing in 12 games. He still finished with 66 solo tackles and that put him 27th in the NFL.

If we look at this from a per-game perspective, that is 5.5 solo tackles per game. To get a better comparison, Darius Leonard finished with 71 solo tackles and averaged 5.4 solos per game last year.  Leonard is seventh in the CBS ranking and the only linebacker on the list, by the way.

Leonard had an amazing rookie season in 2018 and won Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has been better than Smith and I would not try to argue against that. Leonard has seven interceptions and 12 sacks over two years. He has six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also scored a touchdown on one of his interceptions last year. His ranking on this list is accurate.

That said, I do believe Smith should be on it too. Smith has seven sacks and two interceptions during his two-year career. He lacks fumble stats though and needs to find a way to make a bigger impact in this area. To me, the analyst just does not value linebackers enough. Seeing Smith plays in a 3-4 defense does not help his cause either. He has to compete with four linebackers taking his tackle numbers opposed to only three.

When Kenny Clark is 21st on the list, I really have a problem with Smith not being included. Smith is great. He is a fantastic player, but statistically, he makes a below-average impact. He has 16.5 sacks over four years. He has averaged 33 solo tackles a year over the last three years (he did not start as a rookie). He also has four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries for his career — essentially one of each per season.

Back to Tarik Cohen for a minute. Just to prove how subjective this list is, Cohen is not in the top 25 under 25, but Nick Chubb is ranked 20th. Chubb has 18 touchdowns in two years. Cohen has 15 in three.

My point is not that Cohen should be on the list or that he is better than Chubb, but it goes back to the Clark to Smith comparison. Clark does not make more of an impact in my opinion than Smith on the field. Clark has four years of film and stats.

If the analyst is truly looking at a player’s future projection as he says, then Smith’s future projection should be as an All-Pro and perennial Pro Bowler for the Chicago Bears. In my opinion, he was snubbed from the very bottom of this list and I look forward to him proving it throughout the rest of his career.