Chicago Bears: Pro comparisons for Day 3 draft picks

 #4: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Linebacker, Western Kentucky

Round 4, Pick 115

Pro Comparison: Kamu Grugier-Hill

There’s no sugarcoating it. The Joel Iyiegbuniwe pick wasn’t the most popular.

But, sometimes it is the least popular picks that become the biggest surprises. Maybe Iyiegbuniwe won’t be a star, or even a starter, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make an impact…

…on special teams.

Iyiegbuniwe, at 6-foot-1, 229 pounds, is somewhat undersized for his position. His lack of explosiveness won’t serve him well in finding the field for an already-crowded Bears linebacker corps.

But Iyiegbuniwe’s hard-hitting ability and physicality make him an ideal special teams ace.

A comparable player to Iyiegbuniwe is Kamu Grugier-Hill of the Philadelphia Eagles. Grugier-Hill, who is another undersized linebacker (6’2″, 215), was the special teams ace on the Eagles Super Bowl championship team.

Grugier-Hill recorded eight tackles and forced one fumble for the Eagles on special teams. Undrafted out of Eastern Illinois in 2016, Grugier-Hill fought to make the Eagles roster after getting cut in the Patriots’ camp.

Of course there’s always the chance that Iyiegbuniwe flourishes in camp and cracks a spot on the field with the second unit of the Bears defense. But for now, a reasonable expectation for Iyiegbuniwe is as an impact-maker on special teams.