The Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game are both in the rearview mirror. Next up? It’s the Chicago Bears scouting combine trip. Some will argue this is the most important pre-draft event. It’s a chance to get more prospects in one place than any other (337 for this year). GM Ryan Pace, head coach Matt Nagy and their entourage will be able to see who stands out on the field and perhaps more importantly in the interview sessions.
Obviously fans won’t be part of the latter. So they can only watch what goes on during the drills. This leads to an interesting question. Are there any trends from previous years involving the Bears that can be called noteworthy? After doing some research, there were a few things that popped up. Certain trends that might become important as the draft draws closer in April.
Chicago Bears scouting combine history under Ryan Pace
Wide receivers: They seem to like bigger bodies
To date the Bears have selected four wide receivers who participated in the combine dating back to 2015. One consistent theme among them is they tend to exhibit a fair amount of size. Of those four, only one of them (Anthony Miller) came in under six feet tall and he was 5’11. It’s an interesting trend. One that may have been swayed by Pace’s experiences in free agency with Allen Robinson (6’3) being a huge success and Taylor Gabriel (5’8) or Markus Wheaton (5’11) being disappointments.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Offensive line: Watch the shuttle times
There are plenty of traits that make up a good offensive lineman. Not all of them are the same. Some teams like guys with massive size and power. Others prefer blockers who are quick, nimble, and technically-proficient. The Bears have clearly preferred the latter. This is showcased through the 20-yard shuttle times. Their biggest and most successful picks in Cody Whitehair and James Daniels both excelled in that drill with times of 4.58 and 4.40 respectively. Each time ranked 8th and 1st respectively among offensive linemen at the event.
Edge rusher/Defensive line: Eye the vertical jump
The Bears have only drafted two edge rushers to date. That is surprising and a bit disappointing. It’s also difficult to gauge what they prioritize at the position as a result. However, there is one common thread that stands out: lower body explosion. This is most often revealed through the vertical jump drill. Both Leonard Floyd and Kylie Fitts showed out well here. Floyd delivered an impressive 39.5-inch jump. Fitts managed 32.5 inches. Few things are more important rushing the quarterback than burst. So naturally, they would focus on that particular trait.
Safety: Like guys who can run
Speed isn’t totally important to every team at the safety position. Some like using guys who play with more aggressiveness and stopping power than others. For the Bears though, they want guys who can run. Adrian Amos? DeAndre Houston-Carson? Eddie Jackson? All were guys who ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds. That is considered above average for a safety. The only one who broke that mold was Deon Bush and it’s worth noting he improved his 4.64 time at the combine to a 4.52 at his pro day.
