Read what writers around the country are saying about the Bears' first-round draft choice, linebacker Roquan Smith.

Pro Football Weekly
"Could anything have been more appropriate Thursday night in the first round of the 2018 NFL College Draft than the Chicago Bears selecting at No. 8 Roquan Smith, the first Butkus Award winner to ever play for the Bears in the same year Brian Urlacher will join Bill George, Butkus and Mike Singletary in the Hall of Fame?" – Hub Arkush | Read More

Chicago Sun-Times
"(General manager Ryan) Pace needed a Mitch Trubisky for (Vic) Fangio's defense. He needed a young new face, some new hit-you-in-the-mouth life. He needed Smith for the Bears' rebuilding efforts. It made too much sense not to take him." – Adam L. Jahns | Read More

SB Nation
"He's a special talent with a knack for tilting the field and being the intimidating tone-setter of a defensive unit. From Day 1, Smith is undoubtedly going to take control of his defense and be the type of linebacker this Bears' franchise is famous for." – Robert Zeglinski | Read More

The Ringer
"If your middle linebacker is slow, your defense is slow; if he's fast, your defense is fast. Smith is physical, instinctive, and always around the ball, and gives Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio incredible flexibility to match up with anything an offense can think up." – Danny Kelly | Read More

The Athletic
"On the field, Smith tallied an astounding 137 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks last season. He ran a 4.51 40 and will step in next to Danny Trevathan to be a sideline-to-sideline inside linebacker for the Bears' base 3-4 defense." – Kevin Fishbain | Read More

USA Today
"Smith reunites with former Bulldogs teammate Leonard Floyd as part of a nucleus that could help this club be a playoff dark horse in 2018." – Nate Davis | Read More

CBS Sports
"They needed a playmaker at linebacker and this kid has Ray Lewis qualities. Like it." – Pete Prisco | Read More

Pro Football Talk
"Smith starred for Georgia last season as they made a run to the national title game. He had 137 tackles, 14.5 tackles for losses and 6.5 sacks as a player who could make plays all over the field while remaining on the field for all three downs." – Josh Alper | Read More