Jimmy Moreland is the perfect longterm Bryce Callahan replacement
If the Chicago Bears are looking to replace Bryce Callahan in the slot, they should head to James Madison University and draft Jimmy Moreland
Ryan Pace deserves a lot of credit for signing Bryce Callahan as a UDFA four seasons ago. An undersized slot cornerback from Rice, Callahan flew under the radar to become Paces diamond in the rough.
With that, Pace gets the trust when he sets a certain price for Bryce Callahan on the market and refuses to go over it. While the Chicago Bears signed Buster Skrine, and have talked up his abilities in the slot, they can still add to the position.
Pace found Callahan as a UDFA, and may look late into the 2019 NFL draft, or dig back into the UDFA pool to swing on another future project. The draft prospect who fits the mold closest to Callahn this offseason is Jimmy Moreland, an unknown cornerback from James Madison who will go late in the draft or end up undrafted.
Similar to Bryce Callahan, Moreland is undersized and did not see an invite to the combine. However, also in comparison to Bryce Callahan, Moreland put up strong numbers at his Pro Day that cleared NFL thresholds in athletic testing.
In fact, when you compare the Pro Day numbers of Moreland to the numbers of Callahan in his Pro Day at Rice, you see similar athletes. Both stand around 5’9″ and 180 pounds, with low 4.4 speed. Callahan is a bit more explosive, but Moreland showed better agility and collge production.
Although James Madison is a lower level than Rice it is worth noting that JMU won a National Championship, made it back the following year and also made it to round two of the NCAA playoffs in all three of his years. The team did face top caliber FCS competition.
What really stands out about Moreland is that he had six defensive touchdowns in his college career, two as a freshman and three as a senior. This illustrates dominance from the moment he stepped on campus until his time was done. Moreland is a player who baits quarterbacks into passes and uses his elite abilities to change games.
Moreland produced elite numbers compared to his peers, albeit at a lower competition. He tested like an NFL athlete, and looks like a starter on video that could churn into the Bryce Callahan style of starter.
The Chicago Bears met with Jimmy Moreland, who is clearly on their radar. if they draft Moreland in round 7 or as a UDFA, trust that Ryan Pace found the perfect longterm Bryce Callahan replacement.