5 players who can make or break the Chicago Bears success in 2022

This Chicago Bears player could make or break the season: Roquan Smith, LB

Arguably the best player on this team is Roquan Smith. The hope here is that Justin Fields is that guy, but right now, Smith is the easy answer. Despite Smith being snubbed from the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro designations, he is a top-10 linebacker in the NFL in my opinion.

Do not look at his Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades as they seem to hate on Roquan Smith just as they do many other Chicago Bears players. What I would love to see from Smith this season though is more takeaways. When we look at Smith and compare him to Darius Leonard, the big difference is takeaways. With Matt Eberflus coming into Chicago and bringing that HITS mentality to the defense, can Alan Williams and Eberflus get even more from Smith? Can Smith excel in this new scheme even more than he already has in the previous regime’s defense?

If Smith was to have a poor season, then I cannot imagine the Chicago Bears defense having a good season. He is one of the leaders on the defense and sets the tone for others. If Smith is having an All-Pro season as I expect him to have, then this defense will be great once again. It’s going to be interesting to see what type of contract, if any, Roquan Smith receives this offseason.