The Chicago Bears shocked the NFL world when they selected linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He wasn’t invited to the scouting combine nor was he on many analyst’s big boards leading up to the draft.
However, the Bears were infatuated with his athleticism. Hyppolite reportedly ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at Maryland’s Pro Day. You simply don’t see that often from the linebacker position, and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen now has a crafty tool to mold in Hyppolite.
Training camp will be a true test however, as the pads will come on and Hyppolite will be tested in live reps. Still, he has succeeded in all phases of the offseason thus far. Calling him the biggest ‘surprise,’ on Chicago’s roster, Courtney Cronin of ESPN noted that Hyppolite has impressed the coaching staff and is in line for a major role as a rookie.
“Ben Johnson singled out Hyppolite as the player that Bears coaches saw the most improvement from this spring,” Cronin wrote. “With veteran T.J. Edwards sidelined with a soft tissue injury, Hyppolite got a lot of run with the starting defense at a position he doesn’t have much experience at (weakside linebacker) after playing middle linebacker throughout his career at Maryland.”
“While the search for Chicago’s No. 3 linebacker isn’t the sexiest of position battles, Hyppolite — a fourth-rounder with a 4.39 second 40 time — made early impressions on the coaching staff,” she concluded.
Ruben Hyppolite joins NFL
Hyppolite spent five years at Maryland, appearing in 50 games. He racked up 236 tackles, 13 of them coming for a loss and three sacks. He had 66 tackles in each of his final two seasons, reaching a career-high seven tackles or a loss in 2024.
While the stats don’t jump off the page, Hyppolite makes up for it with athleticism. His 4.39 40-yard dash would’ve outranked any linebacker at the combine. His agility and ability to play sideline to sideline should help him get on the field early.
Pro Day Highlights
ILB Ruben Hyppolite II @rubenknows1 @TerpsFootball pic.twitter.com/y6b47AbtzL
— Precision Sports (@PSportsMG) April 24, 2025
But there’s a reason Hyppolite wasn’t invited to the combine or wasn’t a big prospect. He still has a lot of room for development, something head coach Ben Johnson acknowledged through minicamp. His athleticism got him through the door, but Hyppolite must now concentrate on technique and mastering Allen’s scheme.
Throughout training camp, Hyppolite will be one of the most watched players due to his rookie status. If he wins the third linebacker role as a rookie, he won’t be a no-name at least amongst Bears fans for very long.
Chicago Bears LB3 battle
Also working in Hyppolite’s favor is the relative lack of depth at the linebacker position. Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards are the unquestioned leaders atop the depth chart. However, behind them are numerous special teamers or unheralded options.
Amen Ogbongbemiga has been used primarily on special teams while Carl Jones played just one game as a rookie. Swayze Bozeman signed as a free agent, but he only appeared in three games with the Chiefs in 2024. He appears to be more of a special teams option at the moment as well.
Perhaps the biggest competition to Hyppolite currently on the roster is former fifth-rounder Noah Sewell. While Johnson wasn’t here to draft him, general manager Ryan Poles was. Still, Sewell has made just 13 tackles and two forced fumbles over his two years with the Bears. He’s going to need a strong training camp to make a true impression on Johnson.
So will Hyppolite, who won’t be handed the job simply based on his draft selection. Still, the linebacker has continually been gaining buzz throughout the offseason and holds all the LB3 momentum entering training camp.
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