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Chicago Bears select Joel Iyiegbuniwe, special teams LB

By Parker Hurley

LAKE FOREST, IL - JANUARY 09: General manager Ryan Pace of the Chicago Bears speaks to the media during an introductory press conference for new head coach Matt Nagy at Halas Hall on January 9, 2018 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
LAKE FOREST, IL - JANUARY 09: General manager Ryan Pace of the Chicago Bears speaks to the media during an introductory press conference for new head coach Matt Nagy at Halas Hall on January 9, 2018 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Joel Iyiegbuniwe is a player who has flown under the media radar. The Chicago Bears select him in the fourth round

I am not going to lie, I have heard of the name, but have not watched tape on the player, Joel Iyiegbuniwe. The word is that he is a high upside special teams asset which provides a base of talent.

From NFL.com 

"Iyegbuniwe put together a very strong campaign this season, but some of those numbers don’t look translatable on the next level without a lot more work. His speed and athletic ability in coverage are big pluses in his favor. His NFL role may have to be as a backup weak-side linebacker with some cover talent who can become a top special teams worker."

From there, he is a better than average athlete which gives enough upside.

As shown, Iyiegbunwie can fly. However, he is undersized. At Western Kentucky, he was a hybrid between the edge and off-ball linebacker. However, due to his size, it is tough to project him to the edge.He had just 5.5 sacks and led his team in tackles.

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All indications are that he would move inside, but would present versatility, a la, Jonathan Anderson or John Timu. He will compete with those two for a roster spot and will provide immediate special teams.

The question becomes whether or not he can provide anything off of the edge as a pass rusher. The Bears have a crying need over there, and whether they believe in Aaron Lynch or not, they should be looking to add to that room.

Joel Iyiegbunwie may end up finding a role as a specialty player on third down. With his speed profile and lack of size he can get on the field for obvious pass sets. The team can line him up and blitz him from a variety of places.

The athletic upside and special teams floor make it tough to knock the pick.

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