Chicago Bears 2018 NFL Draft Primer
By Usayd Koshul
Round Five
DE Marquis Haynes, Mississippi
Earlier in the piece, I wrote a detailed description on Bradley Chubb, the best edge rusher in this class. And once again, although the Bears added Aaron Lynch, the team still needs depth at the position.
Marquis Haynes is an explosive edge rusher who uses his speed to get after the quarterbacks. However, he’s also a bit undersized and will have to add some strength to his frame in order to be successful at the NFL level.
One of the biggest reasons that Haynes makes sense for the Bears is because while he was at Ole Miss, he lined up primarily as a defensive end, but there were also times where he played linebacker. As of right now, he’d fit primarily as a rotational player and mostly play outside linebacker. He’s currently listed at 235 lbs. Ideally, a defensive end in a 3-4 defense should weigh anywhere from 290 to 315 pounds.
Haynes is a prospect that has the potential but will need to spend time in the weight room adding to his frame if he wants to continue playing defensive end at the NFL level, otherwise he’ll have to make a full transition to outside linebacker.
LB Micah Kiser, Virginia
Last year, there were many times where it looked like the Bears defense was primed on third-and-short to get a stop and hand the ball back over to the offense. Then, all of a sudden, the offense would have a big run up the middle to eventually ice the game.
Micah Kiser might just be a hidden gem that could fall to the Bears. He’s a run-stuffing, interior linebacker who knows how to get physical. Ever since Jerrell Freeman went down last season, it’s been clear that the Bears have needed a good run-stuffer.
Kiser is a tough linebacker who doesn’t shy away from contact. That’s the physicality that the Bears need. He wants to and shows the ability that he will do whatever it takes to get a stop. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the sideline-to-sideline speed that guys like Tremaine Edmunds or Roquan Smith do, but he does make up for those things by never over pursuing and being a smart, instinctive football player.
Even if Kiser is a backup, it’s alright as he’d likely be used in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
WR Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State
If one were to talk about wide receivers from Oklahoma State in the 2018 draft, the name to immediately come to mind would be James Washington. It seems as if Marcell Ateman is being slept on.
Even though Ateman’s 2016 season was cut short due to injury, Ateman came back bigger and better than ever. In 2017, he had fifty-nine receptions for 1156 yards, while averaging 19.6 yards per catch.
He has the perfect blend of size and speed, which would allow for him to be a mismatch weapon in the Bears offense. One of his strongest attributes is that he runs a full route tree. Ateman will likely never develop into a true #1 receiver, but considering his impressive production during his final season at Oklahoma State, he definitely proved that he can be a reliable, consistent target.