In a trade down from No. 1, who should the Bears target?
In most years, if you finish in last place in the NFL you get open season picking on the next year's QBs coming out of college. Well as recently as two drafts ago, the Chicago Bears traded up for presumably their franchise QB in Justin Fields. The Bears finished with the first pick in the […]
In most years, if you finish in last place in the NFL you get open season picking on the next year's QBs coming out of college.
Well as recently as two drafts ago, the Chicago Bears traded up for presumably their franchise QB in Justin Fields. The Bears finished with the first pick in the draft this year, and they have to have a conversation: Has Justin Fields done enough to warrant faith in him going forward?
Let's say they say yes. This year, the draft presents two very intriguing defensive prospects that could very well be worthy of going No. 1 overall, even before a QB.
This presents the Bears with another question: Do we trade back or take one of Will Anderson or Jalen Carter?
For this exercise we will say they find someone who is willing to give them a haul, so they elect to trade back. Well, trading back doesn't fill their need along the defensive line, and specifically at DT.
The Bears, as a defense, allowed the second-most rushing yards in the league at 2,674 and the fourth-most total yards per game at 375.9. According to PFR, they had the least amount of sacks in the league at 20, and the least amount of pressures in the league with 85.
In short, the Bears need someone who can generate some pressure along the defensive line, but for this exercise, we are discussing a situation where they're trading out of the top spot. And while there is a chance for change between now and April, Carter is likely gone before Chicago picks in the first round if there is a trade down.
So, does this draft present someone outside of Carter who can give reliable pressure from the inside and be the anchor in the form of a stalwart 3T that Matt Eberflus loves?
Luckily it does.
Let's talk about Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. The first thing you'll notice about Kancey when digging into him is his production. Kancey registered more tackles for losses than games he played, 34.5 tackles for loss to 33 games. He added 16 sacks on top of that. The second thing people will notice is his height and weight. Kancey is listed at 6'0, 275 pounds. This makes his projection tricky, is he pass rush specialist on the inside? Can he kick out and play defensive end?
Kancey has been getting a lot of buzz as of late appearing as early as 10 in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft. Is it likely he goes that high? Let's talk about some strengths and weaknesses .
Strengths: Might be the most explosive defensive linemen in the draft.
He has shown he has an arsenal of pass rush moves, and flashes some violent hands.
And we already mentioned his production. He has shown serious ability to disrupt the play.
Weaknesses: As you can expect with a player sub 280 pounds, his run defense can be questionable at best sometimes. He struggles to anchor in and hold his ground.
Overall assessment: Kancey's production and pass rush skill set make him an intriguing option for team in need of pressure and help along the defensive line. Is he the top 10 pick Mel projected him as? That is up for debate, nonetheless he presents an interesting option for the Bears if they were to trade away from the first overall pick.
Featured image via Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
