
2. Daniel Hardy, EDGE, Montana State
Daniel Hardy is a very interesting name for Chicago Bears to keep an eye on. According to Dane Brugler, he is the 80th best edge rusher in this draft. The fact that Brugler even had 80 rushers to rank in this draft is impressive and shows how much he puts into it.
I am not going to act like I stay up on Saturday’s watching Montana State games. However, it is clear when looking at his athletic profile while Brugler is so low on him, but also why the Bears may be so high.
He played edge rusher at college, but his size screams an NFL linebacker. Below you can see his athletic measurements. At 235 pounds, he is far to small to play edge in the NFL. However, compared to your typical linebacker, he is a player.
"View post on imgur.com"
The move is obviously entirely projection. Still, this is player that the Chicago Bears would probably be reaching for if he were drafted in the sixth round. What the team could be doing is signing a UDFA with the transformation on their mind.
An explosive linebacker who can rush the passer could fill into the SAM role, which is the spot that Chicago needs the most. No one is saying he can just jump into that role, but the Bears likely see someone being cast aside because he is too small for the edge, and thinking that if accepts a position change, they may have something.
That is likely why the team is spending this time getting to know him. They want to see if he is up for the change.