Controversial Chicago Bears draft pick already deemed breakout candidate

“Hyppolite is in a great position to prove draft analysts wrong,” Ballentine concluded.

What Ruben Hyppolite II offers Chicago Bears

Hyppolite’s 40-yard dash drove up his draft stock, at least to Dennis Allen and the Bears. Put simply, you don’t often see linebackers running at that kind of speed.

The #Bears take Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II with the No. 132 overall pick.

One word: speed. He ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Started 47 career games and was a captain for the Terrapins. pic.twitter.com/kcbHuqXOvl

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 26, 2025

Allen and company will need to mold Hyppolite into an NFL-ready linebacker. There’s a reason he wasn’t on many big boards entering the draft. But the Bears new defensive coordinator has meticulously put the pieces together for his first unit in Chicago. Allen clearly sees Hyppolite as a strong contributor sooner rather than later.

Over his five years at Maryland, the linebacker racked up 236 tackles, six passes defended and three sacks. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but Hyppolite is coming to Chicago with plenty of experience. That’ll be key as he gets acclimated to the NFL level.

Of all the Bears’ draft picks, Hyppolite may be the one with the most to prove. While he was a day three selection, his lack of draft hype has made him a bit of a mystery. Still, Chicago won’t mind as long as he is producing on the gridiron. And if all goes to the Bears and Allen’s plan, that could come as early as Week 1.

Hyppolite’s competition at linebacker 

Tremaine Edmunds and the recently extended TJ Edwards are the unquestioned leaders atop Chicago’s linebacker depth chart. However, behind them is a number of unheralded names. There’s a clear path for Hyppolite to snaps assuming he can beat out the competition.

Former fifth-rounder Noah Sewell and free agent Swayze Bozeman appear to be the strongest contenders for No. 3 linebacker alongside Hyppolite. How all three perform will be under a microscope during training camp.

Sewell has appeared in 22 games since joining the Bears in 2023. However, he has made just 13 total tackles. The 2025 season will be a true make-or-break campaign for the linebacker as he looks to impress Allen and new head coach Ben Johnson.

Bozeman spent the 2024 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs, so he understands what it takes to succeed at the highest level. However, only appearing in three games, and making just three total tackles, Bozeman has plenty to prove in terms of being consistent difference maker.

Still, the Bears won’t just hand the job over to Hyppolite. Johnson has preached the idea of “no depth chart,” throughout the offseason. The fourth-rounder may be the favorite for third linebacker, but the Bears must see exactly what they have in Hyppolite before making a decision.