With Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman entrenched as starters, the Chicago Bears’ defensive line was already viewed as a team strength before the draft started. The group grew a bit stronger on Saturday with a small-school fifth-round pick.
High-motor/high-energy player. Grinder type whose effort helps him make plays in the backfield and pressure the quarterback when he flashed pass-rush skills.
An athletic former defensive end who had nine pass break-ups, two interceptions, and a blocked kick in his junior and senior seasons.
“His height, weight, speed for that position is at the highest level you could possibly have,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock after the Bears made their selection. Check out Mayock’s perspective on the Nichols pick here:
THREE WEAKNESSES
It’s not like it was something Nichols could control, but he didn’t play much against high-end competition while at Delaware.
Didn’t jump into a 3-4 defense until his senior season with the Blue Hens, so it could take some time to fully make the adjustment at the next level.
Pass-rush ability, while present, needs to be coached up and refined to reach full potential.
WHERE NICHOLS FITS
The Bears lost defensive end Mitch Unrein to the Buccaneers in free agency, but seem prepared to insert Jonathan Bullard into a starting role. And while replacing a departing player with someone from your own ranks, you also have to fill the depth left behind. Nichols slides in as a reserve who will be in the mix for reps and snaps with defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris and possibly nose tackle John Jenkins.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
