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The Bear’s Den, Roquan Smith Edition, April 27, 2018

The Chicago Bears drafted Georgia Linebacker Roquan Smith at number 8 overall, and here’s a ton of information about it

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NFL: NFL Draft
A general view as the Chicago Bears make a selection in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Jahns: In Roquan Smith, Bears draft a Mitch Trubisky for Vic Fangio's defense - Chicago Sun-Times - Smith fits Fangio’s mold for inside linebackers. At 6-1 and 236 pounds, he’s built similarly to former 49ers star Patrick Willis.

Morrissey: Bears on Cloud Nine after selecting linebacker Roquan Smith - Chicago Sun-Times - This was a safe pick, but don’t mistake it for an uninspired pick. The risk was taken out of the Bears’ hands by teams that craved quarterbacks.

Finley: Bears draft Georgia LB Roquan Smith - Chicago Sun-Times - After spending all offseason buttressing their offense by adding weapons for quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the Bears finally landed a relevant defender.

Photos: Bears 2018 NFL draft party at Soldier Field - Chicago Tribune - Bears 2018 NFL draft party at Soldier Field.

Photos: Bears linebacker Roquan Smith - Chicago Tribune - Photos of Roquan Smith, who the Bears selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Pope: Notre Dame's Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey go in NFL draft's top 10 - Chicago Tribune - Notre Dame's Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey going in the NFL's top 10 marked just the third time in the last 60 years that the top two offensive linemen selected were from the same school.

Campbell: Bears draft linebacker Roquan Smith with eighth pick - Chicago Tribune - The Bears drafted Roquan Smith, inside linebacker from the University of Georgia, with the eighth pick in the 2018 NFL draft Thursday.

Kane: Capsule look at Bears first-round draft pick Roquan Smith - Chicago Tribune - Bears take Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith of Georgia with the eight pick in the first round of the NFL draft.

Wiederer: With Roquan Smith in the fold, Bears must address major needs as draft moves on - Chicago Tribune - The Bears selected Roquan Smith with the No. 8 overall pick in Thursday night's NFL draft but now must look ahead to their remaining six picks to address major needs. The search for catalysts to the pass rush

Biggs: Roquan Smith hoping to find his place in Bears' rich tradition at linebacker - Chicago Tribune - Roquan Smith, drafted No. 8 overall by the Bears Thursday night, was the Butkus Award winner this past season for Georgia and he has a great understanding of the team's rich history at linebacker. Now he's poised to be the team's next great at the position.

Haugh: Smart move, Ryan Pace: Isn't Chicago where the Butkus Award winner belongs? - Chicago Tribune - The Bears selected a player in Roquan Smith at No. 8 that fits neatly into the franchise’s linebacker tradition, an athletic, aggressive playmaker out of Georgia that looks more than capable of upholding the high local standards of the position.

LeGere: Bears draft 'tackling machine' Roquan Smith - Daily Herald - The Chicago Bears drafted Roquan Smith, an outside linebacker from Georgia, on Thursday night with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft.

Instant Analysis of the Chicago Bears' 2018 First Round Draft Pick (Roquan Smith) - Da Bears Brothers Podcast - Listen as Da Bears Brothers break down Chicago Bears' first-round pick, Roquan Smith, with their instant reaction and analysis.

Stebbins: Draft grades for Bears' selection of Roquan Smith - NBC Sports Chicago - What grades are the Bears receiving for their selection of Roquan Smith in the NFL Draft?

Santraomita: Bears select Roquan Smith with the eighth pick in the NFL Draft - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears drafted Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft.

Under Center Podcast: Welcome to Chicago, Roquan Smith - NBC Sports Chicago - JJ Stankevitz and John "Moon" Mullin break down the Bears' pick of Roquan Smith at No. 8 overall.

Herbstreit: Roquan Smith 'perfect pick' for Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - NFL draft analysts offered glowing reviews of Bears' draft pick Roquan Smith.

Stankevitz: Roquan Smith 'beyond excited’ to be drafted by the Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - Roquan Smith was still giddy when he talked with the media in Chicago on Thursday night.

Stankevitz: Why Roquan Smith is an excellent fit for the Bears' defense - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears drafted Roquan Smith with the eighth overall pick Thursday night, adding a sideline-to-sideline playmaker in the mold of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman to their defense.

LeGere: Other players linked to Chicago Bears went shortly after Roquan Smith at No. 8 - Pro Football Weekly - Bears could have opted for Alabama CB Fitzpatrick or 2 pass rushers

LeGere: Chicago Bears take Georgia ILB Roquan Smith No. 8 - Pro Football Weekly - Bulldogs versatile, fiery LB could quickly become defensive leader

Perez: Bears receive ‘A’ grade for Roquan Smith pick - Bears Wire - Grading the Chicago Bears' pick of Georgia LB Roquan Smith

Perez: Instant analysis of Bears’ selection of Roquan Smith in first round of 2018 NFL Draft - Bears Wire - Instant analysis of Chicago Bears' selection of Georgia LB Roquan Smith

2018 NFL Draft Facts and Figures - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer provides everything you need to know about the 2018 NFL Draft, which will begin at 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday and conclude late Saturday afternoon.

Chicago Bears Social NFL Draft 2018 - ChicagoBears.com - Follow along as the official Chicago Bears social media accounts, Bears Senior Writer Larry Mayer, alumni, members of the Chicago media and more react to the 2018 NFL Draft.

Mayer: Bears pick Roquan Smith at No. 8 - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears bolstered their defense by selecting Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with the eighth pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Davis: Todd McShay says Roquan Smith is a 'perfect fit' in today's NFL, discusses likely landing spots - DawgNation - Roquan Smith cemented his Georgia legacy over three years in Athens, and ESPN's Todd McShay seems to think similar NFL success is right around the corner.

Sahly: 5 fun facts about Bears NFL Draft pick Roquan Smith - Pro Football Weekly - The Bears' first-round pick almost went to UCLA instead of Georgia

Hughes: Bears Select Roquan Smith, ILB, Georgia - Da Bears Blog - From my column last week: Pursues the ball carrier like Harry Carson. Ability to get sideline-to-sideline is Urlacher-esque. Coverage ability reminiscent of young Derrick Brooks. 6.5 sacks his senior year showed he can get into the backfield and wreck havoc.

Round 1, No. 8 overall: Roquan Smith, OLB, Georgia - ESPN - The Bears are known for stud linebackers, and they think they've drafted their latest star 'backer in Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith.

Eurich: 5 facts about new Bears linebacker Roquan Smith - 247sports.com - Roquan Smith just became the 18th player selected by the Chicago Bears out of Georgia.

Hawley: Bears select linebacker Roquan Smith with the 8th overall pick in the NFL Draft - WGN-TV - If everything works out as they hope, this would be the last time the Bears would be this early in the NFL Draft for a while. Early first round picks give you an immediate shot for an impact player, but barring a trade that means the previous season wasn't that great.

McNeil: 10 Biggest 1st-Round Mistakes In Bears Draft History - 670 The Score - These players came with high expectations and didn't come close to fulfilling them.

Bernstein: Hard To Argue Against Bears' Selection Of Roquan Smith - 670 The Score - There's notable consistency in evaluations of the playmaking Smith.

Baffoe: A Good Day For Bears' Vic Fangio - 670 The Score - In Roquan Smith, the Bears added an instinctive centerpiece to their defense.

NFL Draft: Georgia LB Roquan Smith Film Breakdown - SI.com - Pro Football Focus breaks down Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith.

NFL Draft 2018 Results: Round 1 Live Updates, Reaction and Analysis on Day 1 - Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights - The 2018 NFL draft marks an exciting time for teams and incoming rookies. This year's event takes place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The Cleveland Browns will st…

Herbstreit tabs Roquan Smith as top defensive player in draft - georgia.247Sports.com - Kirk Herbstreit sees Roquan Smith as one of the top overall players in the 2018 NFL Draft and believes two other Bulldogs will make a splash, too.

Murray: Roquan Smith picked by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft - redandblack.com - On the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday, former Georgia inside linebacker Roquan Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the draft

Seligman: Bears draft Georgia LB Roquan Smith with No. 8 pick in draft - The News Tribune - The Chicago Bears drafted Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with the No. 8 overall pick, adding a potential cornerstone on defense rather than another offensive player.

The Film Room Ep. 70: How to build around Roquan Smith - YouTube - How to build around Roquan Smith

Grades, analysis for every first-round pick of 2018 NFL draft - Pro Football Weekly - How did your team fare in Round 1 of the NFL draft? We're grading and analyzing all 32 selections

Herbstreit: Smith 'perfect pick' for Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - NFL draft analysts offered glowing reviews of Bears' draft pick Roquan Smith.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Link: Twitter mocks the Chicago Bears actual draft. What does Bears Twitter think of Roquan Smith? - Windy City Gridiron - Bears Twitter seems to be on board with this pick

Zeglinski: Roquan Smith is the No. 8 overall pick - Windy City Gridiron - Chicago gets the most complete linebacker in the class as Smith looks to continue the Bears’ hallowed tradition at the position.

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