Bears Draft Target: BJ Ojulari |
To say the Bears have been an aggressive team the past 12 months would be an understatement, as Ryan Poles has drastically changed the look of this franchise. Along with the busy first round of free agency that saw the Bears address many of their defensive needs, Poles also pulled the trigger and traded away the No. 1 pick for DJ Moore and several other selections.
That means that the Bears are now picking No. 9 in the first round, but there is still the possibility of them trading that pick for more assets and additional picks. While the No. 9 pick is excellent, remember that this team made other trades during the season to acquire more picks and thus own several picks in the top 70. This team could get three starter-caliber players in the first two rounds, which would be a massive haul for this team. One of the Bears' trades was parting ways with Roquan Smith and sending him to the Ravens. As difficult of a trade as that was, the Bears ended up getting a second-rounder for him, which happens to be pick No. 53. What the Bears do with that pick depends on what they do in round one and who is available at that time, but look for BJ Ojulari to be an option in round two. The former EDGE rusher for the LSU Tigers, Ojulari has the intangibles to be an impact player and will help what was the worst pass rush in the NFL a season ago. Chicago has done a great job addressing their LB losses from last season this offseason, but none of them have the pass-rushing ability that Khalil Mack and Smith had. Ojulari can give them that if anything, as he has been graded out with the best pass-rushing moves of any EDGE rusher in the class. That says a lot when you have guys like Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter expected to go in the top 10, so to have someone like Ojulari and his potential as a second-round option could be huge. Not only does Ojulari have excellent pass-rushing skills, but this guy has first-round talent written all over him. However, his lack of overall size and strength at this point in his career is what has him as a second-round product, as he will need to get bigger to contribute as a rookie. Ojulari may be small for an EDGE position, but his elite pass-rushing skills make him a menace for any offensive lineman to contend with. Pair that with his freak athleticism, and this guy will wreak havoc on an offensive coordinator's game plan, as he will need to be accounted for whenever on the field. The 6-3, 244-pound Ojulari may be one of the best pass rushers in this year's class, but his run-stopping ability needs a ton of work. That is one area the Bears need to focus on this season, as they ranked dead last in yards per attempt from their opposition. Getting back to the strength of Ojulari and how much he could impact this Bears' defense. In his three seasons in Baton Rouge, Ojulari played at least eight games every season and finished with 31 games of playing time in three years. 23 of those came over his final two seasons when he put himself on the map as a player. Throughout his career, Ojulari logged 128 tackles, with 25.5 coming as tackles for a loss. With that came 16.5 sacks, including a career-high seven sacks in 2021. This player also forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage to show that overall athletic ability. Ojulari has drawn comparisons to Harold Landry, and according to scouts that have followed him, he is a great person and a great teammate with a chance to be an outstanding pro.
