Chicago Bears: Intriguing Round 2 options in 2018 NFL Draft (Pt. 1)

Josh Sweat, EDGE (Florida State)

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 251 pounds

Arm length: 34 5/8 inches

Hands: 10 1/4 inches

In case you haven’t heard, Sweat, a defensive end from Florida State, was one of the first people to get tongues wagging yesterday at the NFL Combine.

And in evaluating him, it’s hard not to notice his prototypical Ryan-Pace-prospect physical traits as an edge rusher.

The former five-star high school prospect has some of the freakiest measurables you’ll see, particularly his length.

At over 84 inches, he has a wingspan like a bald eagle (yeah, I actually looked it up).

Not only that, but that lanky boy can move, too. After posting a 4.57-second 40-yard dash his first go-round, he decided that wasn’t good enough and went for 4.53 seconds on his second try.

Not the 4.4 he wanted, but still good enough for the best of all defensive linemen yesterday.

Plus, this kid has explosive athleticism like no one should at his size, posting a 39.5-inch vertical and a 124-inch (that’s a square 12 feet) broad jump.

Just think of all the passes that Sweat can swat out of the air with those ups.

If his knee hadn’t caused such durability issues, we might see him as a fringe first-round prospect. And though he stayed productive in spite of injuries, he probably sits comfortably in the mid-to-high second round, pending his medicals.

Furthermore, he has to play with more savvy and technical skill as a pass rusher without relying so much on athleticism to win. That said, people can teach that stuff. They can’t teach you how to be an athletic freak of nature.

And we know how Pace loves trying to mine potential out of stud athletes. If they elect not to go with a pass-rushing linebacker in the first round, Sweat will be on the Chicago Bears’ radar at pick No. 39.