With their fifth-round pick, the Chicago Bears select: Ellis Brooks, ILB – Penn State
The Chicago Bears traded Anthony Miller to the Houston Texans prior to the start of the 2021 season. In the trade, the Bears sent Miller and 2022 seventh-round pick to Houston for a 2022 fifth-round pick. We will see which team finishes worse than the other, but for now, this should be the Chicago Bears pick and the Jarrett Patterson pick should be the Texans’ pick.
The theme of this draft is you can literally choose nearly any position and it is a need for the team in 2022. With Danny Trevathan getting up there in age and although he probably won’t be cut in 2022, he’s not going to be counted on any longer either. Alec Ogletree has been a pleasant surprise, but this team needs to find more youth at the inside linebacker spot.
In steps Ellis Brooks out of the fifth round. Brooks is a very athletic linebacker who took over for current NFL linebacker Micah Parsons. Although not on Parsons’ level, Brooks is a very solid defender who shows plenty of promise under the right tutelage. Drafting a guy like Parsons and letting him work his way hopefully into the starting role next to Roquan Smith seems ideal. Brooks has the speed to keep up with pass catchers in the passing game no matter in man or zone.
The best part about Brooks is that he is a very sure tackler. If he gets his hands on someone, he rarely doesn’t make a stop. Although better suited for a 4-3 defense, if the Bears can land him here in the fifth and let him learn for half a season, they might find the perfect pairing for years to come with Brooks and Smith— think Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs type of pairing.