Chicago Bears Pick No. 61: Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE - USC
Many of you might be thinking, how did you pass up on a center to this point? Well, let's not forget that the Chicago Bears' defensive line was easily the worst in the NFL last season. They could not stop the run and they only generated 20 total sacks -- their sack leader was a safety (Jaquan Brisker). This is not a recipe for success. Adding Jalen Carter to the line can only be the start. Ryan Poles has only added average defensive end replacements in Demarcus Walker and Rasheem Green in free agency.
Adding an EDGE like Tuli Tuipulotu at this point in the draft made sense. He was easily one of the best players available at the time and the drop-off at the defensive end spot fell off quite a bit more than interior offensive linemen. Tuipulotu is coming off his most productive season for USC. He had 13 sacks and 37 hurries while playing at the defensive end spot. In 2021, he still came away with six sacks, but only 17 hurries.
To start, Tuipulotu will likely be a rotational guy, but if he continues to prove himself, he should see more and more playing time. Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams use a consistent rotation with their defensive linemen anyway. Tuipulotu has a great combination of speed and power. He would make for a nice addition to the Chicago Bears roster.