Grading the Chicago Bears' selection of LB Ruben Hyppolite II in fourth round of NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears returned to the defensive side of the ball in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the selection of Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II at No. 132 overall.

Hyppolite finished the 2024 season matching a career-high with 66 tackles and seven tackles for loss. The rangy sideline-to-sideline linebacker ran a 4.42 at his college pro day and should compete for a role on special teams and as a rotational option on defense.

"Hyppolite’s career production is fairly pedestrian relative to the number of starts he’s made, but he has the kind of speed that is rarely dismissed out of hand by NFL evaluators," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. "The more one watches, the more one realizes he plays with natural instincts to sniff out and pursue the play. It appears his lack of take-on technique and tackle consistency will be his biggest hindrances at the next level. A move to Will linebacker could free him from some of the physical rigors inside and allow him to highlight his pursuit speed, but he needs to prove he can make more plays in coverage."

This pick doesn't move the needle all that much on the Chicago Bears' 2025 draft class. A quick scan through pre-draft rankings and big boards suggest this selection was a reach, and I agree. There's a good chance Hyppolite would've still been on board a round or two later.

An athletic linebacker with good range is never a bad pick. But Hyppolite does feel like Ryan Poles' first miss of the 2025 NFL Draft.