Versatile Edge Player Visits Bears

Another speed pass rusher will make a top-30 visit to the Bears this weekend, one with great versatility.

Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith will be in Chicago according to ESPN AM-1000's David Kaplan.

Smith measured 6-foot-2 1/8, 238 pounds at the combine and turned in a performance there like a wide receiver or defensive back. He ran the 40-yard dash at 4.39 seconds and did a vertical leap of 41-1/2 inches. He also had a 10-foot-8 broad jump.

Smith is No. 14 overall on the NFL Draft Bible big board and No. 9 on Pro Football Focus' big board.

A bit along the lines of Dallas' Micah Parsons, Smith is a player who could be deployed in different points of a defense on different downs. He finished at Georgia with 12 1/2 sacks and 20 tackles for loss in four seasons and 38 games.

In 2021 he forced three fumbles and recovered one, which are his career totals. He also intercepted a pass that season. It was that season when he made a career-high 4 1/2 sacks.

At his weight in the Bears defense, he'd need to be a multiple-position player or it's possible he'd be on the field for pass rushing situations off the edge only.

The defensive ends in this defensive scheme are usually 250-280 pounds.

Smith had a pectoral muscle tear last season but showed with that combine performance that he has recovered from it.

"Smith is an intriguing athlete but is a very raw pass rusher," NFL Draft Bible wrote in its scouting report.

The NFLDB quoted coach Kirby Smart lauding Smith's leadership.

"He motivates our guys and plays really hard," Smart said. "You can overcome a lot of young mistakes when you play hard and that’s what’s exciting probably about Nolan."

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