It’s no secret the Chicago Bears pass rush underachieved in 2019. Akiem Hicks went down with an elbow injury early, costing most of his season. Without him, teams were able to concentrate on Khalil Mack who had 8.5 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season. The biggest disappointment was Leonard Floyd, who managed just three sacks all year. This has led to lots of speculation that the rush could undergo some tweaks during the offseason, which would explain why the Bears are keeping close tabs on Kenny Willekes.
Bear Report revealed that during an interview, the Michigan State defensive end explained that a scout from Chicago met with him during the Senior Bowl back in January. This is encouraging as Willekes is widely considered one of the more proven pass rushers in the 2020 draft class. In three years as a starter, he racked up 23.5 sacks and 49 tackles for loss. All without missing a single game.
General consensus from draft experts say he’s a quick player with a non-stop motor though he lacks preferred size and power. Joe Marino of The Draft Network explains.
“He plays with unmatched urgency and is highly competitive. While he may not have the highest ceiling, Willekes does have a high floor as a 4-3 defensive end. His modest play strength and athleticism will present challenges defeating blocks in the NFL and he’ll need to become more reliant on his technique which has room for growth. At a minimum, Willekes should be a valuable rotational end and his upside is contingent on if he can get stronger and become more nuanced.”
Kenny Willekes would be a perfect rotational guy
One problem the Bears have had with their rush is a general lack of reserves who can apply pressure. Aaron Lynch was average in this role for two years while Isaiah Irving did even worse. They badly need a #3 guy who can step in to give either Mack or Floyd a few snaps off while providing needed heat on the quarterback. Willekes is at least capable of that much as his track record proves. The question is whether the Bears can look past his rather average athleticism.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
This guy isn’t going to drop in coverage too often. He’s a downhill rusher who finds the football. He disrupts. This is not a bad thing. Guys like him always have productive NFL careers. He may not end up being a long-term starter but he can be a key cog in the Bears’ defensive machine.
