Chicago Bears mock draft 4.0: Be ready for anything

Kyler Fackrell, (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), OLB, Utah State

When scouts describe how they envision what an outside linebacker should look like, the description would fit Kyler Fackrell almost to a tee.

Fackrell has the height, size and length to do well in the NFL. He is also athletic. He can run all over the field, and can avoid getting locked down by blockers.

Fackrell also has a high motor. He goes hard on every play, and he finds the ball carrier. He had 80 or more tackles in three of the four seasons he played, and the one he didn’t get that was because he tore his ACL.

He came back from that injury and did not miss a step. He had 82 tackles in 2015, and found himself in the backfield, recording 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and five recovered fumbles.

Fackrell also has the strength to play against the run, again, something that was a problem for the Chicago Bears last season.

Utah State played a 3-4 defensive scheme, so Fackrell can step right in and play in Fangio’s defense. He is a student of the game, so he studies film religiously and soaks in everything like a pro already. He is also a mature player, already getting married and having a child.

Fackrell is not an explosive player who will completely wow you, but he is a solid player who can be depended on to do what you need him to do. He is a coach’s dream. He may not have gotten a lot of sacks, but that was mostly because the coaches had him drop back in coverage a lot. He has the agility and quickness to get to the backfield, so he may be a better pass rusher than he’s shown.

The Bears have had players who can make one big play, but mess up a few other ones. Fackrell will make all the plays that won’t hurt the team, and he can cause a few turnovers. That is what the Chicago Bears need — more substance than flash.

Next: Round Four: This QB is intriguing