To stay up on all the latest news around the NFL, from free agency to draft profiles, check in with Last Word On Pro Football. Matt Harris and I are now five parts into the series where we identify prospects that the Chicago Bears could look to select in the 2019 NFL Draft. In this edition, the defensive line gets reinforcements. Sure, Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman are studs in the starting lineup. But the truth is that keeping the defensive line fresh is also key. This is a unit of strength for the team but there have also been disappointments, namely Jonathan Bullard.
A third-round pick in 2016, Bullard has been out-played and out-snapped by two players with lesser pedigree than himself. Both Bilal Nichols (fifth round, 2016) and Roy Robertson-Harris (undrafted, 2016) have outperformed their teammate. Remember, the Bears will not make a selection until the third round, the 87th pick to be exact. Of course, things can change between now and April 25th. At any rate, we will continue operating under the assumption that the picks they have are what they will have come draft day.
Breaking Down Potential Chicago Bears Draft Targets on the Defensive Line
Isaiah Buggs – Alabama
103 total tackles (43 solo), 17.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one recovery. Those are the career numbers for Isaiah Buggs in two years in Tuscaloosa. To put that in perspective, his Alabama teammate Quinnen Williams totals are 91 total tackles (45 solo), 26 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. Williams will be a top-five selection. Now Buggs clearly benefitted from Williams’ presence, but he also took advantage of his opportunity. Buggs spent two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he racked up 134 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He does lack elite length and get-off, which is why he could be available later than his production suggests.
#NFLCombine: @AlabamaFTBL Isaiah Buggs talking about how the preparation & #RollTide process helped him develop into a complete player pic.twitter.com/BP8G5D0skn
— Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) March 2, 2019
Buggs is a player that will not wow you with any of his measurables (see his Combine performance). But he has produced and that is the tradeoff teams have to make in the mid to late rounds. When he is on, he is a handful and can set the edge against the run and provide adequate push on the pocket. He did well playing next to a focal point for the opposing offensive line with Bama and would enjoy a similar situation with the Bears. His versatility and experience should also fit well on a Bears team with championship aspirations He might never be more than a rotational piece, but he should at least be a very productive one.
Renell Wren – ASU
This is an instance where the numbers only tell part of the story. In four years at Arizona State (he is a redshirt senior) for the Sun Devils, Rennell Wren only compiled 81 total stops (51 solo), 14.4 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. He had his breakout in 2018, starting 13 games after making just eight starts the previous three years. He made 43 total stops (27 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, and one sack; again not eye-popping numbers but that is not what has scouts excited. His length and freakish athleticism will be what gets his name called later this month.
In the end, it wasn't a massive iDL day in terms of athletic profiles. Five good composite scores (obviously not everyone completed theirs), including a personal favorite in Renell Wren: https://t.co/bnKZ9dopaU pic.twitter.com/ycuP9rNuvy
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) March 4, 2019
The Bears and freakishly athletic defensive lineman have not always worked out (*cough* Jarron Gilbert *cough*). But Wren offers salivating potential with traits that cannot be taught. His biggest flaws are his technique. Specifically, his hand fighting and footwork will need refinement. Putting him in the room with a player like Hicks could do wonders for this kid. He played nose in college and that may explain the less-than-impressive statistical output. Surely whatever team takes him will be convincing themselves of just that.
Chris Slayton – Syracuse
Chris Slayton immediately made his presence felt at Cuse starting five games as a true freshman. He was a full-time starter from his sophomore season on, racking up 104 stops in total (63 solo), 30.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one recovery. His 2018 effort garnered an honorable mention All-ACC nod after he tallied 24 tackles (16 solo), eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. The biggest knock on him has been his motor.
Chris Slayton has been good this week. Almost certainly going day 3, but I think he can make a roster/rotation pic.twitter.com/M0dFqDkVy1
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 15, 2019
Being from University Park, Slayton grew up in the Bears back yard. That could mean a variety of things, but it surely means they should have plenty of film study and in-person scouting already done on him. He is largely projected as a three-technique, but his frame and athleticism suggest he could develop into a solid rotational two-gapping tackle in the Bears defense. One can also not discount the impact of playing next to high-caliber players, a given with all the talent along the Bears defensive line. Again he is not a finished product, but he possesses the traits that cannot be taught and all it takes is one team. The Bears could be a good landing spot.
Strengthening the Trenches
As we get further along in our Bears draft targets series, the goal becomes about depth and developmental pieces. The defensive line is a strength on this team; maybe it’s biggest. There is still a need for more bodies, however, especially given the short returns on previous draft picks. Chicago was also a very healthy team last year, something that may change in 2019. Any of the prospects listed above are capable of coming to Chicago and filling a role as a rotational player. Whether or not they can become more than that is up to them, but there might not be many places better to end up than a team with Super Bowl dreams.
