Chicago Bears: Jonathan Bullard looking to bounce back in 2017

Can Jonathan Bullard rebound and become the force that the Chicago Bears envisioned when they drafted him?

When the Chicago Bears selected Jonathan Bullard in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the move was praised as a massive steal. With his explosive first step and disruptive potential, many thought Bullard would quickly establish himself in Vic Fangio’s rotation and make an immediate impact. After flashing early last season, it also looked like he would eventually supplant Mitch Unrein at defensive end.

Unfortunately, none of that really came to fruition in 2016. Along with the normal rookie learning curve, Bullard also struggled with his role as a 3-4 defensive end. He was even benched late in the season while many other young defensive players got extended playing time.

With all that in mind, Bullard has a lot to prove coming into 2017. Though the Bears just signed defensive end Jaye Howard, which should ease some pressure on Bullard, he still must solidify his spot in the defensive line rotation. He can’t do that unless he starts showing consistency in Fangio’s two-gap system.

At the very least, it looks like Bullard is putting in the work in the offseason. Here’s some footage of him training with former Bears defensive end Alex Brown.

Stopping the Run

If Bullard’s efforts can translate to the field, there’s no reason he can’t make a leap in his sophomore season. In particular, Bullard will be looking to get back to his roots as a run defender. After excelling against the run in college, he struggled last year, earning a dismal 47.9 grade from Pro Football Focus. Some of this may be attributable to Bullard being a more natural one-gap player than a space-eating, two-gap lineman. With his size and ability to convert speed into power, this can be remedied with more reps.

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Improving against the run will be the key to wrestling snaps away from the likes of Unrein. While Bullard and Unrein were both non-factors as pass rushers in 2016, Unrein played far better against the run. While Unrein’s experience with two-gap systems aids him against the run, he just isn’t very good. He’s not likely to become anything more than serviceable due to his inability to get to the quarterback. Bullard, on the other hand, has all the upside needed to dominate at the point of attack. He just needs to put it all together.

Bullard, however, has all the upside needed to dominate at the point of attack. He just needs to put it all together.

Will there be a Howard Effect?

Also, just because the Bears signed Howard doesn’t mean Bullard is doomed to the bottom of the defensive line depth chart. While he is a clear upgrade at defensive end at this time, he, like Unrein, projects as a one-dimensional player. In fact, though Howard sports a better overall grade (possibly due to playing fewer snaps), Pro Football Focus graded his run defense and pass rush performance in 2016 almost identically to Unrein’s. While Howard certainly improves the Bears, especially against the run, he’s no world-beater. Plus, he’s on a one-year deal with Chicago. If Bullard emerges as an equal/better option, Howard very well may not return next year. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though…

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Along with fellow sophomore Leonard Floyd, Bullard’s growth will be significantly important to the Chicago Bears’ future. If he can emerge as the star the Bears hope he is, he will help make their front seven a force to be reckoned with for years to come. If he struggles again in 2017, the Bears’ patience with him may start to wear thin. As such, I’d expect to see a very motivated Jonathan Bullard when Bears training camp rolls around on July 26th.

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