Chicago Bears draft prospects: Players who may be steals

Travis Feeney (6-foot-4, 225 pounds), LB, Washington

Feeney burst onto the scene in Washington by having a good redshirt freshman season, recording 76 tackles (six tackles for loss) and four sacks, earning him an All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention.

In the next two seasons, Feeney did not match those numbers. Then in his senior season, he had a very good season. He recorded 56 tackles, but he led the team with 17.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. That earned him an All-Pac 12 Second Team honor.

Part of the reason for the struggle to get numbers is that Washington had a plethora of players who were getting all the tackles. They had Shaq Thompson, Hau’oli Kikaha, Danny Shelton and John Timu roaming the field over the past several seasons. All of those players are now in the NFL. With those guys out, Feeney shined.

Another reason was that Washington moved Feeney around. When he came on campus, he was a safety. He then played the SAM, WILL and BUCK linebacker slots.

Feeney did not mind moving around, learning all these new positions. He just wanted to do what he could play well and help the team win.

“It’s always a new challenge for me,” said Feeney. “It seems like every year, I’ve always been moved. I came in as a safety. I was a WILL. I was a SAM. Now I’m a Buck.“I don’t mind it. I think it shows my versatility. As long as I’m playing at a high level, I feel great about it.”

As a BUCK, Feeney had to cover the slot receiver as well as take on tackles. He has a good combination of speed and strength to do that.

Feeney is a good tackler, and he likes to tackle hard. The Chicago Bears have a tradition of hard-hitting linebackers, and Feeney would fill that criteria.

With all that NFL talent that was roaming the field for Washington, Feeney got overlooked. He will get a chance to change that first in the Combine, then with whatever team that drafts him.

Next: He is mature beyond his years...and he is fast