Ranking 6 sleeper edge rushers for Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Draft

3. Chicago Bears could draft Ikenna Enechukwu from Rice

Ikenna Enechukwu has plenty of experience with 1,787 snaps over his five year career. He started to ascend as a redshirt freshman in 2019, but his career was stalled in 2020 with the COVID situation. From there, he exploded and became a legitimate starter for the Owls.

In 2021, he lined up almost primarily as a three-technique and slid outside at times. In 2022, he was an edge rusher, who slid inside at times. His profile says that he will primarily be an edge rusher, but his overall athletic profile shows someone similar to Tyquan Lewis, who Matt Eberflus drafted with the Colts.

The ability to rush inside and outside is obviously something that he wants from his rushers. Ikenna Enechukwu even flashed as an inside pass rusher during the Senior Bowl. Ikenna Enechukwu plays a physical brand of football and is not afraid to get his hands on you. He does not have the juice and is a bit stiff on the outside, but he will rough up tackles while working.

Still, he can defend the run on the edge in a way that we know the Bears will value. He can get enough of an inside burst as a pass rusher that the team can find ways to use him if he falls to day three.