The Chicago Bears stayed with defense as they drafted Bilal Nichols, a defensive tackle from Delaware with their fifth-round pick. Nichols measures at 6-foot-4, 306-pounds and has been one of Delaware’s best defensive players the last few seasons recording 10.5 sacks over that time. He is agile for his size as he ran a 4.95 at the combine and could provide quality defensive line depth for an NFL team.
The selection for Nichols for the Bears does just that as he appears to a project for the team who will provide depth to begin. He fills the void left by former Bear Mitch Unrein who provided quality depth on the roster as he was able to play both defensive end and defensive tackle.
Nichols will be more efficient in the run defense rather than the pass defense as he recorded six tackles for losses this past season at Delaware. The pick is the Bears second consecutive selection of a defensive player from a small school. General manager Ryan Pace and his scouting staff found success last season when they drafted tight end Adam Shaheen and running back Tarik Cohen from small schools.
Ryan Pace focuses on defense depth in the 2018 NFL Draft
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