Bears Official Draft Prospect Visits

LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama – The Bears went into the off-season with two glaring holes at the inside linebacker position, but have since filled them with two solid free agents signings, Danny Travathan and Jerrell Freeman. They still lack depth at the position though and both of the new ILBs are under-sized compared to most NFL ILBs. Drafting Ragland may seem like overkill, but for a team that prides itself on stopping the run, adding an interior thumper like Ragland does make some sense.

At 6’2, 250 pounds, Ragland is built like a more traditional inside linebacker and hits like a tank between the hash marks. He has the instincts to read where the ball in going, the size and athleticism to either shed or avoid interior linemen, and the fundamentals to tackle any ball carriers that end up in his vicinity. Ragland has natural football instincts, enough speed to cover backs and tight ends, and displayed clear leadership traits on an Alabama defense with 7-8 future NFL players.

DE Roy Robertson-Harris, UTEP – You won’t find him on many (any?) prospect lists, but after a very impressive Pro Day the 6’6, 275 pound Robertson-Harris may generate a little buzz over the next month. The Bears were obviously interested enough to bring him in for a private workout after he posted a 35″ vertical, 9’11” broad jump, 4.7 40-time, 23 bench reps of 225 pounds, and looked fluid in both pass rush and short coverage drills.

Robertson-Harris has ideal size for a 5-tech in the Bears defensive scheme and may even have enough speed and agility to be a stand-up rusher as an OLB. His college stats aren’t impressive with just 16 tackles for loss and 6 sacks over the last two seasons, but he’s a mold-able talent that could intrigue a defensive maestro like Bears DC Vic Fangio. The size and athleticism are ideal and he could be a late day 3 pick or a priority free agent target for the Bears.

¹Walterfotball.com