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Chicago Bears Draft Scout: Carl Granderson

By Parker Hurley

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 10: Defensive end Carl Granderson #91 of the Wyoming Cowboys celebrates a stop against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Wyoming 52-14. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 10: Defensive end Carl Granderson #91 of the Wyoming Cowboys celebrates a stop against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Wyoming 52-14. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Bears met with edge rusher Carl Granderson at the Senior Bowl. How does his skill set fit?

Despite trading for Khalil Mack it is no surprise to hear that the Chicago Bears met with a couple of edge rushers at the Senior Bowl last week, and that includes Carl Granderson.

Grandson is a senior from Wyoming. He tore his ACL as a sophomore in 2016 but broke out in 2017 with 8.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. However, he fell off a bit in 2018 with three sacks to go with 7.5 tackles for loss. What does Granderson bring and is he a fit for the Chicago Bears?

Strengths:

Granderson is a technically sound player. As a hand fighter, he brings a variety of pass rush moves to keep his body clean and has a spin move in his arsenal. However, Granderson is at his best when stunting and slashing to the inside.

Granderson is a high effort player and that shows in finishing as a pass rusher and being active as a run defender. Similar to his pass rush set he is best crashing inside. Granderson has good length and it shows in his hand fighting, but also in his tackle radius which is proficient.

Weakness:

Granderson does not come with much burst or bend. He is sent on stunts inside often because he is best with a step or two clean to get going downhill. Against tackles, he typically cannot dip inside and ends up widening his rush. The ACL injury and a few bumps along the way in his senior year are a concern as well.

Granderson also is not a strong edge setter against the run. He has been pushed off of his spot when setting the edge and is much better when he has his momentum moving downhill.

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Skinny:

Granderson did not blow away the competition at the Senior Bowl. Coming off of a down year with athleticism questions and an ACL injury, Granderson is going to dip into the middle rounds.

Of course, that is where the Chicago Bears will have to find their contributors this season. In that regard, Carl Granderson is definitely a player to keep an eye on.

His ability to show a full arsenal of hand fighting is going to intrigue coaches. If he can string a few moves together he can typically stay clean enough to shoot into the backfield with enough speed to make an impact.

Chuck Pagano is noted for stunting and sending a variety of looks at the opponent and would like the slashing ability from Granderson to clear paths for Akiem Hicks and others.

Of course, his role is easily defined. At his best, he would be a fourth pass rushing option in Chicago behind Mack, Leonard Floyd, and a free agent if they do not sign Aaron Lynch. Kylie Fitts and Isaiah Irving will be in the mix for the third pass rusher spot as well. Fitts has a better athletic profile, but he could certainly compete with Irving. If he could show as a better run defender Granderson could compete with those two next season and let the top talents rise to the occasion.

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