Bears Official Draft Visits (Part 2)

OLB/DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson (6’3 | 269 | 4.62) – Extremely powerful edge rusher who was one of the most productive defensive ends in college football last season with 12.5 sacks and a FBS leading 24.5 tackles for loss.

Lawson uses his elite power to set the edge verse the run, collapse the pocket with his bull rush, and set up opposing tackles for his smooth spin move or variety of counters. His strength should only improve under NFL trainers and is already good enough to be effective at the next level.

He doesn’t have ideal length or explosion off the edge, but Lawson’s strength, polished pass rush moves, motor, and closing speed to finish plays make him a first round talent as a 4-3 defensive end. Whether or not Lawson can transition to a 3-4 OLB is a legitimate question.

He has the speed, agility, and natural football instincts to eventually be a solid 3-4 OLB but it may take a season or two for Lawson to get there. In the short-term, he could be a solid pass-rush specialist for the Bears, but his power rush style is very similar to current Bears OLBs Pernell McPhee and Lamarr Houston.

G Cody Whitehair, Kansas St (6’4 | 301 | 5.02) – Played left tackle in college, but should be able to make the transition to guard seamlessly. Whitehair has elite hand skills with the ability to control the defender once he locks on to a block. His footwork is a good enough for an NFL tackle and should be above-average at guard. He moves extremely well for a 300-pounder and should have no trouble pulling, trapping, zone blocking, or tracking down linebackers and defensive backs in space.

There is not much to complain about in Whitehair’s game and he should be able to step into a starting lineup as a rookie and be effective. The Bears brought in a few free agent guards as depth this off-season, but if a clear first-round talent like Whitehair is available with their 2nd pick… The Bears should pull the trigger.

A team can never have too many competent offensive linemen. Whitehair would push both Matt Slauson and Bobbie Massey for playing time and at worst give the Bears a valuable swing linemen in 2016. He has the sill-set to develop into a Pro Bowl guard or right tackle before the end of his rookie contract.

Next: Private Workouts