There wasn’t much to hate about the Chicago Bears 2018 draft. In fact, through the first two rounds, fans were elated. GM Ryan Pace managed to land what appears to be three Day 1 starters for his roster. Roquan Smith will man the inside linebacker position next to Danny Trevathan. James Daniels will man either the center or left guard positions. Last but not least, Anthony Miller brings more sizzle to their passing attack. Unfortunately, that run of success created a no-win scenario for their next pick, Joe Iyiegbuniwe.
People were not happy when his name was announced. Not just because it’s difficult to say either. The moment they found out the young man from Western Kentucky was an inside linebacker? They got furious. It made no sense. Why would the Bears grab an inside linebacker when they just took one 8th overall?
The frustration stemmed from many claiming Pace was passing up his last chance to add a credible edge rusher to the roster. Names like Dorance Armstrong, Josh Sweat, and Marquis Haynes were still on the board. All featured intriguing skill sets that would fit well in a 3-4 defense. All were gone by the end of the round after Iyiegbuniwe was picked.
Thus it was declared an instant failure. Was it though?
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Buzz steadily growing Bears may have a sleeper in Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Greg Cosell is the nephew of iconic commentator Howard Cosell. That’s how most normal people know him. Football experts though swear that he is now one of the best, most knowledgeable analysts in the game. His attention to detail and work on the draft is impressive and rarely misplaced. That’s why it was fascinating to see what he had to say about Iyiegbuniwe.
A player he thinks might be a steal.
“Iyiegbuniwe has a lot of athletic and movement traits to work with as you transition him to the NFL…
He showed the desired play speed and range to play inside out and to effectively navigate the box in the run game (although needs work to do that consistently). There’s an aggression and competitive toughness to Iyiegbuniwe’s game that consistently stood out even though he was not powerful
Iyiegbuniwe has the athleticism and movement traits to play in sub-packages and match up man-to-man on TE and backs. Athletic traits plus high-level college production make Iyiegbuniwe a good prospect with a chance to develop into a starting stacked LB with coaching and experience.”
The kid certainly pops a lot on tape. That’s one of the first things to look for. For a guy who’s around 230 lbs, he moves with surprising velocity. His final two years at Western Kentucky as a starter, he made 181 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He also deflected four passes and forced three fumbles.
This wasn’t against cupcake competition either. Against Alabama in 2016, he made 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack. Big opponents don’t seem to phase him.
It’s unlikely Iyiegbuniwe sees much action outside of special teams this year. That said he looks like he can be much more than a backup. With Danny Trevathan’s injury track record, it may just be a matter of time before he’s able to not just contribute, but thrive.
