John Harbaugh lauds Roquan Smith for taking the Ravens defense to another level in 2023 season

Roquan Smith has completely changed the Baltimore Ravens' well-rounded defense for the better since he joined the team in the 2022 season.

Just this past year, Smith managed to up his game across the board. Now-former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald provided Smith with a multitude of on-field tasks, and the all-around linebacker went on to pass each test with flying colors. From dropping back in coverage to helping to stop the run, he blossomed as a do-it-all linebacker in the 2023 campaign.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been left in awe of watching Smith not only shine on the field but also elevate the play from each of his teammates on the defensive side of the ball.

"Roquan Smith has made a seat change on our defense," Harbaugh said during a press conference at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. "Roquan kind of just tied it all together. He made it all kind of fit and make sense. We were doing the same things on defense that we were doing [before] Roquan got here, and we were doing them pretty well. We were getting better as the season went along, but everybody saw it.

"When he got here, it changed. He made everybody better around him, and it's only gotten better since. So yes, Roquan, love him. I love him. [He's] one of the best."

Smith’s standout second season in Baltimore did not go unnoticed. He was named to both the 2023 First-Team All-Pro roster and the 2024 Pro Bowl Games. He also finished in eighth place in the voting for the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Ravens sure have quite a special talent in Smith.