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It took a while, but Day 1 of NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis got fun by the end. In particular, one position group more than any other looks like one the Bears should definitely dip into, and it might not be the one you think.
Let’s get into it.
1. I’m good on Kayden McDonald at No. 25.
One should never put too much stock into the Underwear Olympics when it comes to moving players up or down in the Combine. In the end, your resume is the tape.
That said, I feel like McDonald’s on-field workout revealed something he himself has hinted at in interviews with reporters: he’s more of a pure run-stopping 3-4 nose tackle than a 4-3 tackle at either the 1- or 3-technique.
While he has the short-area quickness and strength you want inside, you can almost see the lack of versatility in his game when you watch him move. He simply doesn’t have the juice to consistently rush the passer, which you can see in his production (three total sacks in college). There’s something to be said for being REALLY good at your role, and McDonald certainly is that when it comes to stopping the run.
But if the Bears are still in the market for a defensive tackle at No. 25, I’d look at Lee Hunter over McDonald. Hunter’s the more complete player of the two, and is one of the few guys in this class you cannot single-block either in the run game or the pass game. If you do, he inevitably wins.
I might even suggest waiting until the second round and look for guys like Christen Miller (Georgia) or Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati) if the value seems right.
McDonald will likely be solid at what he does in the NFL, especially in a system that fits his skills. I’m just not sure that system belongs to the Bears.
2. T.J. Parker is not making it to the Bears.
Throughout the week, I’ve heard from draft experts and scouts that the Clemson product was going to go earlier than Bears fans would want him to, despite some mocks and big boards suggesting he might be an option at No. 25. After the workout he just put together in Indianapolis, you can kiss any dreams of that goodbye.
We knew he was strong and had the baseline frame Dennis Allen might want a 4-3 defensive end. His speed (4.68 seconds in the 40) tore the track up, and his solid 34-inch vertical affirmed his explosiveness at 6-3.5, 263 pounds.
Again, though, these numbers only confirm what he’s already shown on tape, as he ranked 56th in total pressures last year among 853 qualified edge rushers. After that first set of edge rushers—Arvell Reese, David Bailey, and Rueben Bain Jr.—come off the board, Parker will likely be next.
If I were the Bears, I’d be looking for later options at edge and looking to bolster that position a different way. Because guys like Zion Young and Cashius Howell, who ran well but simply isn’t long or twitchy enough to be in play, aren’t likely to be the best players available at No. 25.
3. The Bears will dip into this linebacker class.
It seems like the linebackers just get faster every year. Not a single one of these guys ran a 4.7s 40 or worse, and three players—Reese, Sonny Styles, and Kaleb Elarms-Orr—ran under 4.5. Obviously, the Bears will have no shot at taking those first two guys, who likely both will go in the top 10. But expect the Bears to do a lot of homework on this group after the day they collectively put together.
After all, Chicago’s linebacker position is only slightly less problematic than the safety position this year due to impending losses—Tremaine Edmunds will be cut, Amen Ogbongbemiga has been cut, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell are injured and face long recoveries, Ruben Hyppolite II barely played, and DeMarco Jackson is a free agent/has made four career starts.
Expect the Bears to sign some more veteran talent at linebacker to steady the ship and grab another linebacker either late on Day 2 or early on Day 3. They suffered too much from decimation at this position not to invest in it this year.