There is a good chance many Chicago Bears fans asked, “Who the hell is Elijah Hicks?” when his name was called during the 7th round on Saturday. That is fair and also a shame. The 22-year-old started across five seasons at Cal and showed loads of promise in 2021. His three interceptions, four forced fumbles, one sack, and 5.5 tackles for a loss were standout production for a safety. He demonstrated good range in coverage, instincts, ball skills, and physicality in run support.
So why did he fall to the 7th round? There are a few reasons why this is likely the case. Last season, Cal wasn’t overly good as a team, going a pedestrian 5-7. Their defense was ranked 53rd in the nation. That made it easy for players to get overlooked. Then to make matters worse, Hicks suffered an injury during practice before the East-West Shrine Game. This led to him not participating and, as a side effect, not going to the scouting combine or performing at the Cal pro day.
He basically fell off the map because of some terrible luck.
Hicks was undoubtedly afraid that his dream of being drafted wouldn’t come true. There wasn’t even a peep from teams through the first six rounds. Then, his phone rang with only nine picks remaining in the draft. GM Ryan Poles asked him if he was ready to be a Bear. The mixture of relief and utter joy couldn’t be described in words. So Hicks decided to show fans those feelings through a delightfully bonkers video.
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Yeah, it’s safe to say Elijah Hicks is ready to go. There is no telling what his future will be. Everybody knows that 7th round picks face long odds of making an impact in the NFL. Then again, the Bears are at a point where they’re overturning the roster. That means more opportunities to win starting jobs than normal. If he can play up to the level he flashed in 2021 and stays healthy, Hicks has the skillset this coaching staff looks for in a safety. Don’t count him out.
