Ryan Poles didn’t have the resources to invest heavily into the offense. So he had to get creative in trying to find ways to improve the Chicago Bears on that side of the ball. One of his solutions was to conduct several trades that led to 11 overall draft picks. Six of them went to the offensive side of the ball. Four were offensive linemen, and another was wide receiver, Velus Jones. Probably the most overlooked of the group was 6th round pick, Trestan Ebner.
Running backs generally don’t get the fanfare they used to. That is especially true for those who didn’t have great rushing numbers in college, as with Ebner. So the obvious question is why they even bothered to draft him. Poles and the coaching staff loved his versatility and his speed. They felt he was a decent rusher and an excellent receiver out of the backfield, something the offense sorely missed last season.
It didn’t take long to see why.
The rookie had looked good in practices, but games always tell the real story. Ebner didn’t disappoint. It was evident from the opening kickoff he had some serious juice with a 34-yard return.
It only got better from there. Later in the first half, the Bears were trying to drive for their first points of the game. After a big 25-yard pass to Tajae Sharpe, Ebner got a hand-off outside to the left. It looks like Chiefs defensive back Jaylen Watson has a good angle on him. Then the running put his foot in the ground with such a vicious juke that Watson had absolutely no shot of catching him.
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Last but certainly not least was his touchdown in the second half. The play was simple enough. Ebner ran an angle route out of the backfield. His ability to change direction and accelerate left Chiefs safety Deon Bush flat-footed. By the time he recovered, it was too late. The rookie was past him and heading into the end zone.
Trestan Ebner showed everything the Bears were hoping for.
He may never be a full-time running back in the NFL. However, players like him have great value in today’s league. A good comparison for contemporary fans is Andre Ellington. He was never a pure runner with the Arizona Cardinals, but he was a versatile weapon that was lethal in the passing game. Ebner is much the same way. The Bears will be able to line him up in various ways, getting him into favorable matchups against linebackers and safeties.
Trestan Ebner feels like one of those players who will never be the star of the show but always turns up two or three times a game with big plays. If the Bears can get that from a 6th round pick for the next few years, it is an undoubted success. One can only hope more such highlights are on the horizon. Ebner is somebody defenses must account for. When that happens, everybody else benefits. It is a welcome sign Poles knows what he’s doing.
He’s got a little Kamara-like feistiness in him and his returns remind me of Dennis Gentry.
Yes! Didn’t run out of bounds and picked another 4 yards after he popped that dude….A Man, just like WP use to do! Hit them harder…