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10 Underrated NFL players under 25 years old in 2019

By Russell S. Baxter

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 05: Jaylon Smith #54 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a fumble recovery in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at AT&T Stadium on November 5, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 05: Jaylon Smith #54 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a fumble recovery in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at AT&T Stadium on November 5, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Roquan Smith #58 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a defensive stop against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Rams 15-6. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Roquan Smith #58 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a defensive stop against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Rams 15-6. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

5. LB Roquan Smith, Chicago Bears

He was the last of the 32 first-round picks to sign in 2018 and the deal wasn’t done until mid-August. But once he was on the field, Chicago Bears’ rookie inside linebacker road Roquan Smith made a definite impression. The 22-year old product from the University of Georgia would play in all 16 games, make 14 starts and finish with a team-high 121 tackles. Smith also racked up five sacks and one interception while knocking down five passes.

In the club’s one-point playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Smith once again led the team with seven stops. He also knocked down one pass and one of the team’s two interceptions of Nick Foles in the 16-15 setback. It marked the 13th straight game that the former Bulldog totaled at least five stops. Smith racked up at least 10 tackles in six of his final 12 regular-season outings.

Of course, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to any player. The young defender is Pro Football Focus’ 39th-highest graded linebacker (subscription required). And while the Bears finished with the league’s top-ranked defense against the run this past season, it’s an aspect of Smith’s game that didn’t earn a particularly high grade in 2018.

With Vic Fangio now the head coach of the Denver Broncos, Matt Nagy’s club has a new defensive coordinator in Chuck Pagano and it will be up to him to get even more out of the talented youngster.

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