Chicago Bears – Best Available Undrafted Free Agents (Defense)
Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
DT Bobby Richardson, Indiana (6’3 | 283 | 5.16)
Underrated prospect who has experience as a 3-4 DE, has long arms (34 5/8″), huge hands (11″), a non-stop motor and surprising quickness. He’s a bit of a tweener with size between a 5-tech in a 3-4 and a 3-tech in a 4-3. Luckily for the Bears new DC Vic Fangio uses both of those positions in his hybrid scheme and Richardson could play the Justin Smith 5-tech role (RE) or the Ray McDonald 3-tech position (LE) with upside at both. He was double-teamed constantly in college due to the lack of talent on the Hoosier’s D-line and still was productive against B1G lineman. The Bears lost depth on the D-line with their transition to a 3-4 scheme and Richardson could provide it at two positions with the potential to earn a starting job at either.
OLB Zach Hodges, Harvard (6’2 | 250 | 4.74)
Showed NFL speed and athleticism at the combine which is important for a kid from the Ivy league. His 4.68 40-time was faster than expected and should boost his stock, but Hodges still needs to get stronger to beat NFL tackles. Hodges has an NFL burst off the ball, good acceleration off the edge and a non-stop motor. Not surprisingly, Hodges is a smart player with a knack for finding rush lanes and good football awareness. Worst case, Hodges should be an effective pass rush specialist for the Bears but if he gets stronger could ultimately be a 3-down OLB.
ILB Jeff Luc, Cincinnati (6’1 | 256 | 4.83)
Former 4-star recruit who transferred to the Bearcats from Florida St. Luc is a powerful run stopper known for crushing hits in the middle of the field. He has the strength to shuck blockers and the short area quickness to attack ball carriers, but doesn’t have enough speed to be a sideline-to-sideline guy and struggles in coverage at times. Luc is a classic 2-down run-stuffing ILB who is an intimidating presence inside and was very productive this year with 120 total tackles and 7 sacks. He would give the Bears some toughness in the middle which they haven’t had in a while.
ILB Taiwan Jones, Michgian St (6’3 | 245 | 4.95)
2-down ILB who lacks sideline-to-sideline speed but can be an impact run defender from day 1. Jones moves well in traffic, showing the ability to shed blocks and find the ball carrier. His lack of foot speed could be an issue but his solid football instincts allow him to play faster than his timed speed. Jones could be a liability in coverage but on early downs and obvious run situations, Jones could be a force. He was also a leader on the field at MSU, a dangerous blitzer, and doesn’t miss many tackles.
Matthew O
ILB Mike Hull, Penn St (6’0 | 237 | 4.68)
Would probably have been drafted if Hull could stay healthy. He has had a variety of injuries during his time at Happy Valley, but when he plays he is a force inside. Hull has shown elite play recognition which allows his to play faster than his 4.6 speed. He is a leader on defense and a fierce run stopper with great closing speed. He’s decent in pass coverage as well with good instincts, but will struggle covering tall TEs in the NFL. The Bears have some question marks at ILB and Hull could compete for a job while excelling on special teams.
CB Cam Thomas, Western Kentucky (6’1, 190, 4.53)
Has good size and the prerequisite confidence it takes to play corner in the league. In 2013 Thomas was one of the best players on a top 20 defense finishing among the leaders in pass defends (15) and interceptions (5). Last year the Hilltoppers had one of the worst defenses in the country and teams rarely threw Thomas’ direction (1 INT). Thomas excels in press coverage and is active in run support. The knocks on Thomas are inconsistent technique and the tendency to wander from his man. I don’t see the latter as a serious problem as he didn’t do it as often in 2013 and it could just be a result of frustration over teams not throwing in his direction. Some scouts have talked about Thomas potentially moving to safety in the NFL, which could fill a need for the Bears but they need depth at corner as well and Thomas fits the aggressive press/zone corner type that DC Vic Fangio used in San Fran.
Other defensive players who could be good fits for the Bears: CB/S Ladarius Gunter, S Chris Hackett, S Kurtis Drummond, CB Jacoby Glenn, S Durell Eskridge, CB Bryce Callahan, LB Alani Fua, ILB Zach Vigil, OLB Tony Washington, DT Ellis McCarthy, DT Chuck Hunter, DE Cedric Reed.