5 stats to know from Jack Sanborns rookie season with Chicago Bears

4. Average Depth of tackle and missed tackles are a concern

The fact that he is getting run stops at a high rate is more valuable than just looking at tackle data. Tackles 15 yards down the field are not as valuable as a stuff for 2 yards. Still, the average depth of tackle can also be incorporated into this situation.

For Jack Sanborn, the average depth of his tackles is 4 yards down the field. That is not quite where you want it to be, as he ranks 37th out of 51 linebackers qualified. In comparison, Roquan Smith was at 2.7.

Beyond that, the other top five in run stop rate are all under four yards in average depth of tackle. They sit at 3.2, 3.1, and 3.6.

Sanborn also missed tackles 14.6% of the time, which ranks 38th out of 51 linebackers. However,  in this area, some of the other top run stoppers also miss higher numbers of tackles.

For Sanborn, there are two things you can point to from these stats. First, the defensive line does him no favors, but second, he is getting tackles everywhere. He has a high number of run stops,  but also a lot of downfield tackles. He is just getting a lot of tackle chances thanks to the line.

The misses are going to come at higher numbers because he is in so many plays. Beyond that, he is often chasing from behind the line of scrimmage. The stats speak to some of the reasons why he fell into the draft, but the context of his defense can also ease some concerns.