The Chicago Bears 2018 draft has earned widespread praise, both from the media and their peers around the league. General feelings are they got a number of quality talents, particularly in the first two rounds. Roquan Smith (#8 overall), James Daniels (#39 overall) and Anthony Miller (#51 overall) look like they will be starters opening days. They’re all experienced, talented and polished.
It was in the later rounds where things got, not so much bad but confusing. Nowhere more so than the fourth round. Having done so well up to that point, most felt the Bears were free to start focusing on needs. No position demanded more attention than the edge rusher slot. When they went on the clock #115 there were still some interesting names available.
Josh Sweat of Florida State looked like a perfect option with his length and athleticism. Dorance Armstrong of Kansas was also there. Instead, the Bears pulled their first genuine head-scratcher of the draft, one that upset a lot of fans who felt they’d missed a golden opportunity. His name is Joel Iyiegbuniwe.
Scout explains why Bears 2018 draft benefits from Iyiegbuniwe
Jeff Joniak conducted his annual review of the Bears draft, joined by area scout Sam Summerville. He took time to explain why the team chose to go with Iyiegbuniwe over a greater need. It came down to a variety of factors but there were a few specifics that stood out the most.
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The buzzword that Summerville emphasized was “speed.” Indeed watching Iyiegbuniwe on film it’s evident he covers a lot of ground in a hurry. At 6’1″, 230 lbs he ran a 4.60 at the scouting combine. That tied him for 8th-best at his position during the event. He’s also been clocked around 4.52 as well. Suffice to say he runs fairly fast for a guy his size.
Throw in the good instinct and athletic traits, maybe it was foolish of people to dismiss the pick before getting to know the player. Few things are more valuable on a football field than speed. It can make up for so many things. Defenses don’t have to play as perfect. Offenses don’t need to spend as much time trying to score. It’s a valuable tool that the Bears haven’t strived hard enough to acquire. Until this year it seems.
Their first four picks of the draft stand out with this feature at their respective positions. If they can add the intelligence and fundamentals to go with it, the Bears roster will be better for it.
