Sherlock Holmes wasn’t exactly needed to solve the mystery of the Chicago Bears’ problems last season. It began and ended in the trenches. The offensive line gave up 55 sacks. The defensive line had 10.5 sacks. It was an atrocious performance on both sides of the ball. So it’s hardly a surprise that GM Ryan Poles is focusing heavily on defensive tackles and edge rushers going into the NFL draft. Most of the speculation has been around Jalen Carter of Georgia as a likely target, but that has become complicated.
Carter was involved in a reported street race that killed two people, resulting in misdemeanor charges. The Bears may want no part of that. That means looking at alternatives for defensive tackle. One name appears to have their attention. Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network revealed Chicago had one of their private visits with South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens. He had a decent career for the Gamecocks with 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss over the past two seasons.
Chicago Bears’ interest in Pickens is no surprise.
Despite his rather bland stat line, the young defensive tackle has considerable upside. He’s 6’4, 291 lbs, and boasts arms in excess of 34 inches. Remember, the Bears covet longer players. He checks the box. The combine and Senior Bowl also demonstrated he is a good athlete. Pickens had a 4.89 time in the 40-yard dash. He was one of only six defensive tackles to finish under five seconds in that event. He also had the fourth-best vertical jump at 30.5 inches and tied for the best broad jump at nine feet eight inches.
It isn’t hard to see the appeal. Pickens is a big athlete with length. Players like that tend to find success in the NFL. He has a quick first step and isn’t easily knocked off balance. South Carolina didn’t use him often as a gap penetrator, which better serves his skillset. That might explain his limited production. The Chicago Bears would deploy him much differently. What they need to find out is where Pickens is mentally. How does he see the game and what is his work ethic like? His answers will determine if Poles and Eberflus think he has a bright future.
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eecummings: I agree. Not sure what’s up with Tuli’s weight. Sometimes players drop weight for the combine to run faster and perform better in key tests for their position. But frankly, when it comes to DL, I’d rather have a guy that has to work to put on weight than a guy that has to work to keep weight off. Give me a ripped 280 pounder over a 310 pound guy that has rolls of fat and can’t run down the slowest of QBs, but is hard to move in the run game. The good news is that the media’s… Read more »
Tonkaman, Gator Joe: Yes, draft players, not athletes. But the numbers can tell you a lot about players. Look at Iowa LB Jack Campbell. The word on him was great production but limited athleticism (which is fine with me, would love to draft him). Then he tested very well at the combine, and he should get a nice bump up the board from that. The combination of great production on the field and strong athleticism produces generational players and studs. After that, the scouts have to do their jobs well and find players like Darnell Moony or Braxton Jones, late… Read more »
Yes, draft football players. But, good scouts can also spot guys who are misused in their collegiate system and have the potential to be studs in the right system. With proper coaching in that system they can emerge. Still, later rounds are for amassing a few of those kinds of guys who can become “steals”.
The fastest way to sink a GM and a team is to draft on athletic numbers. Raiders did it for years and much of their picks became football busts. I can understand if you are taking a gamble in the later rounds but it’s not a good overall strategy. You should always draft based on game film. Period.
Don’t write off Carter yet. Looking for great football players not choir boys. Happy that no one his age never made a mistake. Doesn’t anyone remember Biggs wrecking his Lamborghini. He was even older than Carter. People do make mistakes