Bear Digest

Speed Has Its Day at Defensive Positions Where Bears Can Use Some

Ohio State safety and former Notre Dame player runs the only sub-4.3 in the 40 so far at the combine.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. breaks up a throw against Indiana.
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. breaks up a throw against Indiana. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Maybe it was seeing Packers receivers Matthew Golden and Christian Doubs racing downfield with Bears DBs in tow that triggered the comment at the combine by GM Ryan Poles.

"I want to improve our defensive speed overall," Poles said.

He saw the need for faster defensive linemen, but also in the secondary.

There was real speed on display at the combine Friday in Indianapolis for someone looking to add some in the secondary, although some of the better players didn't run the 40. There were six sub-4.4 40-yard times turned in, but one was the most curious of cases and it was at a position where the Bears need help.

It was the fastest man at the combine so far, Ohio State safety Lorenzo Styles Jr., the older brother of Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, who is an expected first-rounder.


“I feel like that’s a big part of my game," Styles told reporters at the combine about special teams. "I take a lot of pride in special teams. I feel like it’s big in the NFL now. Field position matters. So, being able to contribute to that, I feel I can do that Day 1.”

Styles didn't do much returning but did have a kick return TD last year and a 36-yard punt return. He had five kick returns and one punt return in college.

If the Bears wanted to add pure speed for whatever reason, he looks like someone who can provide it. He had 54 catches as a receiver for 684 yards and two TDs at Notre Dame before moving to Ohio State as a cornerback. In the end, he wound up playing safety, too, after getting a few opportunities to play defense for the Irish.

"I talked to my coaches a little bit; I was at both (receiver/DB) positions when I was there for a little bit,” Styles said. “I kind of fell in love with DB; I get to play. I don’t have to run a deep route, or I’m not set to a certain route. I get to play (off) my athleticism, play the game.

“I feel like Ohio State gave me the best opportunity to play DB at the highest level—the coaching staff, the players, the environment. I feel like it prepared me for the NFL.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles gave Lorenzo Styles the chance to get experience on that side of the ball in the dime package.

"He put enough trust in me to be out there,” Styles said. "Coach Knowles, he was blitzing me a lot. Put me in man coverage, he was starting to use some of the skills I was working on.

“He put me in position to be a better player.”

Styles has had to operate in the shadow of his brother until running that time on Friday. His brother, though, had the fastest time of all linebackers at 4.46. Both have to go a ways to reach what their father did, which was winning a Super Bowl ring as a linebacker with Dick Vermeil's 1999 Rams teams.

"My dad didn’t really talk about his career a lot," Lorenzo Styles Jr. said. "He wasn’t the type of guy to say he was this type of player. It’s actually funny. We’d never been to an Ohio State game, growing up.

“But the one thing I will say is that when I was younger I remember me and my brother going into the basement. He had, like, this little area with his jersey, Super Bowl ring. We used to put the ring on our fingers—it was huge on our fingers—spin it. So, we knew about the game.  He instilled that in us. Like getting up early. Being disciplined. Being a good teammate. How to be a leader. Things like that. We may not have understood that at the time, but we understand it now.”

Now it's a matter for him of understanding how to play  defense more.

"I’m just scratching the surface. I feel like there’s not going to be a lot of players in the country as versatile as me," Styles said. "I can play free safety, drop down, cover, I can play nickel, even go play corner, all four special teams.

Top defensive 40 times

(Sub 4.4)

  • S Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ohio State 4.27
  • S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma 4.32
  • CB Toriano Pride Jr., Missouri 4.32
  • S Treydan Stukes, Arizona 4.33
  • S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon 4.35
  • CB Daylen Everette, Georgia 4.38

"So, there’s not a lot of players who can do what I do. I’m excited to keep progressing and putting that on an NFL field.”

The Bears will need safety help somewhere in the draft because all four safeties are out of contract.

Adding one other player very late in the draft who can play special teams and run with the fastest receivers might even tempt Ben Johnson to put him back where he started playing, at receiver.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.