Chicago Bears draft prospects: Inside linebackers

The Chicago Bears have a need at inside linebacker. Here are a few options available to them in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Chicago Bears have a number of holes to fill in order to become real contenders. I recently went over the Chicago Bears’ options available at outside linebacker.

Another one of those holes is at inside linebacker. There were too many times during the season in which the inside linebackers could not help if a runner got to the second level.

Shea McClellin had the second-highest number of tackles on the team, but he did not make an impact. He could not get into the backfield, and most of his tackles were in pursuit, and not on the point of attack.

McClellin’s inability to make plays prevented the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio (who is still a McClellin supporter) from running a lot of blitzes. That, in turn, gave the Bears fewer opportunities to cause turnovers.

Fangio’s support notwithstanding, the McClellin experiment should be over. The Chicago Bears need to couple someone else with Christian Jones, someone who is athletic enough to make impact plays.

Many believe inside linebacker may be a top priority for the Chicago Bears, but there are not many top-notch inside linebackers available. The crowd is very top-heavy, so perhaps the Bears will go in the later rounds for one. Or, maybe, they will go after the top prospect.

Let’s take a look at some of the inside linebackers available for the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft:

Next: He Is The Opposite Of McClellin