Chicago Bears Draft: Finding Nick Kwiatkoski’s replacement in the fifth round
The Chicago Bears need to find linebacker depth to replace Nick Kwiatkoski. Ryan Pace could find his replacement by drafting Cameron Brown in the fifth round.
Nick Kwiatkoski is off to Las Vegas. The Chicago Bears can look to insert Cameron Brown. It is funny how Nick Kwiatkoski was seen as a draft gem his rookie year, and by the 2019 offseason, Chicago Bears fans wanted him gone.
Once the season was over, the script on Kwiatkoski had changed once again, and fans were calling for the Bears to resign him over Danny Trevathan. Welcome to Chicago sports. Cam Brown is everything Kwiatkoski was as a prospect with more length. The most significant difference is; ideally, Brown would fit more of 4-3 outside linebacker due to his size.
Being that this is a mid-round day three draft selection, the Chicago Bears would need to value some special teams. As a freshman, Brown blocked a punt against Ohio State that helped aid in a victory. He made the ESPN All-Big Ten Freshman Team. While his sophomore year was average, Brown turned on the jets in his junior year. He led the Lions in forced fumbles and broke up six passes while achieving 41 solo tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss.
Ryan Pace always seems to draft a player of shock value. To me, this would be that selection. Brown is not overly fast as he ran a 4.72 40 yard dash. He shows that he is explosive with a 35″ vert and a 123.0″ broad jump. A shorter Nick Kwiatkoski ran 4.73 with a 120″ broad and 32″ vertical jump for comparison. If Tremaine Edmunds can start at inside linebacker at 6’5 250, Cam Brown can hold down the reserve role in the Chicago bears defense.
dark. Next. Could Alex Bars be the answer?
Taking a linebacker with the fifth pick seems like a solid move for Pace and the Chicago Bears. Depth is clearly important. As many Bears fans know, losing a top player at any position could be catastrophic. Take a look back at the loss of Akiem Hicks. Now imagine the loss of Roquan Smith in the middle or even Robert Quinn on the outside. This would be scary and arguably disastrous. Having a backup like Brown would be ideal.