Bears Fans Shouldn't Overreact About Top Defensive Tackles' Uninspiring Combine Performances

If an NFL team is expecting their 320 lb. defensive tackle to make a tackle 40 yards down the field, then they've got much greater problems than having a slow defensive tackle. It's simply not in the job description.

Did Lee Hunter blow up the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine? No. He had the second-worst time among defensive tackles with a time of 5.18 seconds. Not good. However, also not that important.

Derrick Brown ran a 5.16-second 40-yard dash at six-foot-five and 326 lbs. six years ago. The Panthers selected him with the seventh overall pick, and I don't think they have any regrets. They rewarded him with a four-year, $96 million contract two years ago, after all.

The 40-yard dash has always been overrated when it comes to the big men on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Orlando Brown Jr. had one of the worst 40 times in NFL history (4.85 seconds). He fell to the third round as a result and promptly became one of the top steals in the draft. He's carved out a solid career and has four Pro Bowls under his belt.

Remember Eddie Goldman? He completely bombed the 40 at the 2015 Florida State Pro Day. He put up a time of 5.28 seconds and had an abysmal 1.89-second 10-yard split. The Bears scooped him up in the second round, and he immediately stepped in and fortified their run defense. He was downright dominant against the run and was one of their most underrated pieces on the 2018 Bears elite defense.

The 10-yard split is a much more important measurement for a defensive tackle. Unsurprisingly, Hunter didn't exactly thrive there with a time of 1.79 seconds. That tied for the fourth-worst among defensive tackles. However, I found it interesting that he was only .03 seconds behind Caleb Banks in that regard.

Conversations surrounding Banks and Hunter's performances this week have been polar opposite. Banks had a standout performance for running a 5.04-second 40. While that time is impressive for someone weighing 327 lbs. (Hunter weighed in at 318), it's less indicative of the job description. Banks has significantly better long speed. That shouldn't make much of a difference in the evaluation process. It probably will, though.

Kayden McDonald opted not to compete in the tests at the combine. However, there's no sugarcoating it; He didn't look good running through the pass-rushing drills. He looked slow and unprepared.

McDonald weighed in at 326 lbs. He doesn't have the same amount of foot speed and explosiveness as Banks, and that was evident on tape. That doesn't change the fact that he was arguably the most impressive DT in college football this season. He was downright dominant against the run and was a huge reason Ohio State had the top-ranked defense in college football, allowing only 219 yards per game.

On that note, Hunter was also a major reason that Texas Tech had the top-ranked rushing defense in college football (68 yards allowed per game). Football is played on the field. Teams often make mistakes by passing up legit football players for workout warriors.

Hunter and McDonald are both football players.

Both players will probably fall a bit in the draft based on uninspiring performances this week (although McDonald could bounce back strongly if he runs well at his Pro Day). I'd be a bit surprised if Banks isn't the first or second defensive tackle off the board (with Peter Woods being the obvious top DT in my opinion), but I still wouldn't want Banks over either of them. He may look better in a compression shirt, but I don't think he's a better football player.