The Chicago Bears will do everything they can to control their own fate in the upcoming NFL draft. However, at some point, they’ll have to sit back and hope other teams do them a favor by letting good players slip through the cracks. The hardest stretch for GM Ryan Poles will probably be the gap between his first and second picks. Chicago will select at 9th overall and then won’t be on the board again until #53. That is a long wait. Now the Bears may try to close this gulf via some trade, but as of now, this is where they’re at.
So the question becomes whether any notable names might slip further down the board than people are expecting. Top draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has one in mind. One of the hottest names of the past few months is Adetomiwa Adebawore, the defensive lineman from Northwestern. He looked good at the Senior Bowl and then blew up the scouting combine with his athletic scores. Many now see him as a possible 1st round sleeper. Jeremiah isn’t so sure about that.
“I like him. To me, I think — for me personally he is going to be in my late second-round range as a player, but the athleticism is off the charts and the testing side of things.
I think on the field he shows you some of that inside-outside versatility. He knows how to use his long arms to set the edge. I didn’t think he was a real polished pass rusher. I didn’t think he had a great game plan as a rusher, but when you have the combination of explosiveness and length that he has, he is an intriguing guy.”
There is no question Adebawore has loads of upside. His athleticism, length, and explosiveness have the makings of a terrific interior pass rusher. He would fit the Bears’ three-technique spot easily. The big concern people have with him is the inconsistent tape. He’s still raw in a lot of areas. His production was okay (9.5 sacks in two years) but not worthy of going in the 1st round. Maybe somebody will take a chance on his upside, but Jeremiah is correct. Everything points to him being a late 2nd round option.
Jeremiah is also pretty good at projections like this. He correctly stated wide receiver Christian Watson would go in the 2nd round last year despite many experts stating he’d go in the 1st. The same was true of fellow receiver Skyy Moore. Adebawore has the tools to be a really good player. The Chicago Bears should have every reason to take him if he’s on the board at #53 or #61.
