Possible Home-Grown Bears Talent
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The perfect first Bears draft pick for 2022 might not be the wide receiver intended to help Justin Fields.
Head coach Matt Eberflus is installing a 4-3 defense using different line techniques while general manager Ryan Poles has already discussed the importance of building an offensive line. He knows the value of play up front.
Those two belief systems in place, there might not be a better draft pick possibility for the Bears than Oklahoma defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey.
The single-gap defense Eberflus wants to play requires strong play from a three-technique defensive tackle and the Bears don't really have this on the roster. Even if they signed both or either Akiem Hicks or Bilal Nichols they wouldn't have ideal attacking three techniques. Hicks stood out for his play as a massive, powerful endin a 3-4. Nichols has played every line position and made plays but hasn't shown he can be an attacking 4-3 tackle as a three technique.
In fact, when Nichols came out of Delaware the NFL media scouting report on him described him as anything but an ideal three technique.
"Needs to play with better initial quickness at point of attack," was one part of their description. "Tends to pop upright after the snap ... plays with poor knee bend and leverage ... need to see more jolt out of his initial punch."
Nichols has been successful making plays in a scheme where he had two-gap responsibility, occupied blockers and got off the block to make tackles.
That said, Winfrey solves a need.
A Chicago Background
Born in Maywood, he later moved to the Roselle area and played high school football at west suburban Lake Park. He wasn't highly recruited out of high school. He wasn't an academic qualifier.
Iowa State coaches were reported to have advised he should play junior college ball first. He did, and ironically enough he came back to the Big 12 to lead two Oklahoma wins over Iowa State. In fact, he had a QB hit in 2021 that was said to have altered the direction of the game with the Cyclones.
“I wanted to hit (Iowa State's QB Brock Purdy) in a way he felt for the rest of his life," Winfrey said.
Winfrey went to Western Iowa in Council Bluffs and made the name for himself that earned him a spot at Oklahoma as the nation's top JUCO recruit.
Winfrey made 55 tackles in junior college, 23 of them for loss, and had 9 1/2 sacks. In his first Oklahoma season he exploded on the scene by blocking a field goal in a triple-overtime win over Texas. He started earning more playing time as a defensive line replacement a year after the Sooners had lost their top three defensive tackles. He finished his first season as second-team All-Big 12.
For his Oklahoma career, Winfrey made 40 tackles, 16 1/2 of them for loss, and had six sacks to go with three pass deflections.
Any skeptics who hadn't heard of Winfrey during college season got a big dose of information at the Reese's Senior Bowl last month. Winfrey put his name into the hat as a possible first-round pick by winning Senior Bowl MVP. He made five tackles, three for loss and had two sacks.
The Combine
When Winfrey goes to the scouting combine next week, they will find one of the secrets to his success is a tremendous wingspan that lets him engage blockers to keep them away and then beat them. His wingspan is 85-5/8 inches. At the last two combines held—2019 and 2020—there were no interior defensive linemen with wingspans this great. He played at just over 290 pounds and has the "quick twitch" ability necessary to beat blockers into the gap as a three technique. A good 40 time won't be essential because it's the short burst out of his stance that is key. Nichols, for example, was athletic enough to run 4.95 in the 40. So anticipate something like that or better from Winfrey.
"An explosive linear athlete with a quick first step and persistent hands, the Illinois native flashes functional strength when he gets leverage," NFL Draft Bible wrote in its assessment. "That said, the defender must improve his pad level and hand timing."
They also described him as "relentless" in his pursuit, a quality necessary for any interior pass rusher.
The Bears Choice
The Bears could be fortunate to get Winfrey in Round 2 now after the Senior Bowl performance. He is ranked 26th on the NFL Draft Bible's big board as their third-best defensive tackle. If Winfrey hasn't been gobbled up in the first 40 picks, the Bears would be interested if they decide the talent level is higher than it is for remaining players who solve other needs at wide receiver, offensive line, cornerback and linebacker.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
