Chicago Bears: Adebawore Is An Athletic Option At Defensive Line

The Chicago Bears have a need for a pass rusher. Adetomiwa Adebawore gives them an athletic option.

Now that the free agency has died down, the attention turns to the draft. Even though Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been busy filling holes in the roster, there is still a lot of work to do. He will use the draft to fill even more holes.

One of the areas of need for the team is at edge rusher. The Bears got nothing out of their pass rushers last season. They ranked last in sacks and quarterback hits. Quarterbacks were able to sit in the pocket and not worry about getting hit.

Poles wants to change that. He already added some help to the defensive front with the acquisitions of defensive tackle Andrew Billings and defensive end DeMarcus Walker. That was just a first step, however.

One of the things that Poles reiterated since he became the Chicago Bears general manager is the need for young, athletic players with a high motor. Having athletic players allows the coaches to do more.

Adebawore could be a good option

Adetomiwa Adebawore could be an option on the defensive line. He is a freakishly good athlete out of Northwestern. He can play both on the outside and inside.

Adebawore has skyrocketed up many draft boards after his NFL Combine performance. Before that, he had great practices during the Senior Bowl week.

Adebawore is 6-foot-2 and weighs 282 pounds. At the Combine, he ran a 4-49-40. That was the fastest time for anyone who weighed 270+ pounds. He also looked good at all the drills he did.

Adebawore projects to be a three-technique in the NFL. That is a position of need for the Bears’ defense. Draft experts project him to go anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the second round. The Bears hold the ninth pick in the first round. Poles could decide to trade that pick and move down. Additionally, the Bears have the 53rd pick, so Adebawore could be available to them.

Adebawore is explosive at the snap. He has a great first step and blows past blockers. Also, he is quick with his punch and release to move blockers over.

Adebawore also has a lot of strength. He does a great job of having the proper pad level to give him leverage to move blockers.

Bears have met with Adebawore more than once

Poles and the Chicago Bears met with Adebawore on a number of occasions. They spoke with him at Northwestern’s Pro Day. He also met with team officials on an official in-house visit.

Adebawore mentioned that he and Poles spoke about the three-technique. It shows that the Chicago Bears brass is likely very interested in his services.

As mentioned earlier, Poles is looking to rebuild the roster with players who have very athletic traits. Last year, he selected Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, and Dominique Robinson, all very athletic players. Robinson is an edge rusher. He came in very raw but had an impressive rookie season. The expectation was that he would not play much, but did well when he played so he earned more playing time. He could play a bigger role this season. Having him and Adebawore on the same line can upgrade the unit.