Chicago Bears Grading the pick: Bilal Nichols
Bilal Nichols fills a depth slot on the defensive line. Was it worth a fifth round pick?
The Chicago Bears selected Bilal Nichols, defensive tackle from Delaware State. How does it grade out?
Need?
In the first three rounds you look for starters. From there, depth. The Chicago Bears do have a hole behind Eddie Goldman. John Jenkins is not a great option and he is aging towards the wrong side of his NFL career. Mitch Unrein is gone, and Rashaad Coward just moved to guard. Nichols is a high upside bet who at the very least can make the roster. Tweaking the back end is fine.
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Value?
In our mock draft 5.0 we had him in the seventh round going to the Bears and filling a great need. However, that is not to say he is a 7th round player. Fanspeak.com said he was, not the Bears. Given his athletic profile, and my ability to pick him out of a list of players, you do expect him to go maybe a round higher than your average defensive tackle. Therefore, the value is there.
Player?
As mentioned, Nichols has a great athletic profile.
It does not show consistently on tape enough to invest fully in this type of player. However, in the fifth round, of what is shaping up to be a lackluster draft, this is the type of player you invest in.
He can become an NFL starter if he can consistently show the same burst that flashes here and there. To find that in round 5 is quality. Eddie Goldman was healthy last year, but has not had a great track record. It fills a need, it is worthy value and the player is one I even mentioned before the draft as worth betting on. Of course I am in on this.