GM Ryan Pace has a specific method of operation when it comes to finding the best players in the NFL draft. Last year it was revealed that aside from constructing a traditional board of player rankings, he takes it one step further. He sets aside a list of names from the class who fit certain criteria. They must be both squeaky clean in the locker room and excellent talents on the field. This list was given a label: the “Bears Box.”
Last year it was reported that the Bears were fortunate enough to land not one but two members of their Bears Box in the 2017 draft. They were quarterback Mitch Trubisky and tight end Adam Shaheen. Considering the class only unveiled around 20 such names for the list, it was a stroke of good fortune in their eyes.
#Bears notate draftees with a "#Bears box" when they check all boxes in locker room and field. Trubisky/Shaheen both qualify. Only 20 or so
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) April 29, 2017
So this brings up an interesting question. Which prospects coming out of the combine this year likely landed inside the Bears Box? Here is a list of names that seem to fit the criteria.
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Bears Box Candidates
Quenton Nelson (OG, Notre Dame)
Widely viewed by many as the best overall prospect in the draft, and for good reason. Watch the tape for just a couple minutes and it’s clear he’s a man amongst toddlers at times. Nelson is a big, strong and ferocious blocker who regularly plows open running lanes. He also showcases great awareness and quick feet to pick up pass rushers on stunts or blitzes. Despite nursing a tweaked hamstring that prevented him from running the 40, he still threw up 35 reps on the bench and a 26.5-inch vertical at 325 lbs.
D.J. Moore (WR, Maryland)
Maryland has never been typically known for producing front line NFL talent but that has begun to change. Stefon Diggs is one of the best receivers in football and Yannick Ngakoue is an emerging pass rusher. D.J. Moore is aiming to build off that growing legacy. The 6’0″ receiver broke out in 2017 with 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns. This despite being surrounded by poor talent and QB play. He then supplemented that quality tape with a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical jump at the combine.
Harold Landry (EDGE, Boston College)
Teams might get caught up in the debate about his somewhat average size but there’s no longer any denying Harold Landry is the real deal. Over the past two seasons, he had 21.5 sacks and 30.5 tackles for loss at Boston College. This despite playing most of 2017 with a bum ankle. Word is he’s fully recovered now and it showed at the combine. He ran at 4.64 in the 40 at 252 lbs, jumped a respectable 36.5 inches and did a lightning-quick three-cone drill in 6.88 seconds. He’s productive, athletic and plays through pain.
Leighton Vander Esch (ILB, Boise State)
People are all over Tremaine Edmunds from Virginia Tech but the fact is Leighton Vander Esch showed him up both on the field and at the combine this year. Edmunds started two years and Vander Esch only one yet the Boise State product still had more tackles (128 to 112) and more interceptions (4 to 1) in his college career. He then backed this up with a better bench press (20 to 19) and broad jump (124 inches to 117). Edmunds ran a faster 40 but Vander Esch still did a respectable 4.65 at 256 lbs and also had a 39.5-inch vertical. If that weren’t enough, he led his high school football and basketball teams to state titles.
Denzel Ward (CB, Ohio State)
The words “if only” will be mentioned around Denzel Ward a lot. Why? He’s a freak athlete who is the latest to come out of the cornerback factory at Ohio State. If only he were a bit taller. Ward is 5’10”, which is considered less than ideal for top NFL cover corners. This makes it difficult to buy into him completely as a top prospect. Never mind his excellent tape which shows a potential lockdown player or his 4.32 in the 40 and 39-inch vertical jump. It certainly doesn’t look like a couple inches will make much difference in whether or not he can play.
