Chicago Bears 2017 draft position profiles: Linebackers

Takkarist McKinley, UCLA (6-foot-2, 265 pounds)

In today’s NFL, teams are always looking for explosive and speedy edge rushers. Well, they don’t get better than McKinley.

McKinley did track in high school, and he uses what he learned there to help him get to the opponents’ backfield on a regular basis. In 2016, he recorded 61 tackles. Of those, he had 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

McKinley is another high-motor guy who doesn’t give the blockers any snap off. He is relentless, and he usually finds his way to the ball. Of his tackles, 36 percent came within two yards of the line of scrimmage. He has fluid motion, and he has the agility to slip blockers.

McKinley needs to show more pass rushing ability. He doesn’t have many slaps or spin moves in his repertoire. Also, he needs to improve his hands as his punch lacks any power. He also tends to run upright, so he can get knocked down. Strength is something he also needs to increase to compete with the big guys in the NFL.

Next: Offensive linemen available to the Bears

McKinley projects well to a 3-4 defensive scheme. While he is still pretty raw, a defensive coach like Fangio can do wonders for him. He has all the tools, and with good coaching he could end up being the best pass rusher in this class.