The Chicago Bears knew going into the 2021 offseason that they would need all hands on deck in order to put together a cohesive draft board. No scouting combine. No personal visits with prospects. This left teams with only Zoom calls and pro days as their best opportunities to see these young players up close. That meant not just GM Ryan Pace but his entire scouting staff would be needed.
Among the most trusted members of that group is Jeff Shiver. Everybody who has been around the organization for a considerable length of time knows the name. He is one of the Bears’ area scouts and first joined the franchise back in 1987. That should offer an idea of how good he probably is at his job. He’s been able to survive the firings of more than half a dozen regimes. The guy knows his stuff and it appears the Bears have him hard at work.
His latest assignment? Attending the Arkansas State pro day.
This according to Daniel Greenberg of Fansided. The school is an FCS program. Not considered a hotbed of NFL talent. However, there are a few prospects worthy of attention down there. It would make sense the Bears would send one of their most trusted eyes for talent to find out.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1370522983220056070
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Who could they be looking at. Most will probably assume wide receiver Jonathan Adams. The big 6’3 kid had himself a breakout season in 2020, going for 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 10 games. His ability to box out defenders and make tough catches in traffic proved the hallmark of his game. The Bears can always use more weapons.
In truth though, they may have wanted a look at somebody on the other side of the ball. Nose tackle Forrest Merrill.
Arkansas State nose Forrest Merrill is #MadeForTheMess inside pic.twitter.com/x6qLmNJt3D
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 1, 2021
.@AStateFB NT Forrest Merrill is the strongest IDL we’ve seen so far in ‘21 draft class. Impressive handing double-teams vs Georgia’s future NFL inside trio. Plays with knock-back & rarely gives ground. There’s a role for dudes like Merrill at next level. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/XFoyMXk3D5
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) June 23, 2020
Forrest Merrill was a prime example of run-dominance in the middle of a defensive line. pic.twitter.com/Viauzy5wE6
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 25, 2019
Chicago Bears have good reasons to like Merrill
One thing about Shiver? His track record suggests he has a pretty good eye for defensive talent. Rosevelt Colvin and Mike Brown are just two of his many finds over the years. His years of experience would be able to tell him if Merrill has anything to offer. When looking at the young nose tackle, he doesn’t seem like much. Only 6’1, squat, and boasting short arms. At 340 lbs, he isn’t known for his burst or quickness either.
So what’s the allure? The guy is an absolute headache against the run. His mass combined with underrated power allows him to eat up space and even double teams have a hard time moving him. This allows linebackers to roam free, making tackles for short gains or losses. Remember that the Chicago Bears defense got caught flatfooted last year when Eddie Goldman opted out. That left their nose tackle position in the hands of backups like John Jenkins and Daniel McCullers.
That is why their run defense dropped to 15th last season.
It would make perfect sense that they’d want to improve the depth behind Goldman. Merrill is exactly the kind of guy they can look at. He will go late in the draft or even be an undrafted free agent. While he only does one thing well, it’s one thing the Bears need. If Pace gets a vote of confidence from Shiver, don’t be surprised to hear his name next month at some point.