Chicago Bears: Recapping day three of NFL Combine

It was an up and down day for some Chicago Bears draft targets at day three of the NFL Combine.

Following day two of the NFL Combine, there were a number of running backs whom the Chicago Bears had already met with. Those players were James Williams, Trayveon Williams, Miles Sanders, Benny Snell and Bryce Love.

On Friday, we got to see how they, and other Bears’ targets performed in the measurables portion of the Combine. Some performed as expected, others exceeded expectations, while some left a little to be desired.

Now it’s important to not overreact to some of the numbers these players put up. History is replete with examples of players who bombed the Combine but when on to have Hall of Fame careers, and others who were workout warriors, and bombed in the NFL.

So if you liked a particular player, don’t write him off because he had a less than ideal performance.  Likewise, don’t fall in love with one just because they put up good numbers. With that said, there were a few players who raised their stock and others that have some work to do. Let’s jump in and sort through it all.

One player who helped his cause some today is offensive tackle Oli Udoh out of Elon University. We previously profiled Udoh as someone who would be a fantastic addition for the Bears. He’s athletic, big bodied, and still getting better. With a 5.05 40-yard dash and 26 repetitions on the bench, he demonstrated the power and speed necessary to make an impact at the next level.

Of the running backs, Ryquell Armstead out of Temple University surprised with the second-best 40 time of 4.46, and Trayveon Williams, who we also profiled, turned in an impressive 4.51 validating the breakaway speed he put on tape. Sanders also displayed speed, quickness, and ability to change direction with a 4.49 40, 4.19 shuttle and 6.89 three-cone drill.

On the other side of the coin, Elijah Holyfield, son of former boxing great Evander, had a day to forget. He ran a 4.79 and followed it up with a 4.81, which is not ideal for a running back hoping to shed the reputation as a north and south power back with no speed.

Another player that didn’t help himself with his 40-time was Benny Snell who many Bears fans have become enamored with. While Snell is a heck of a player, he does not seem to fit Matt Nagy’s offense as well as many of the other backs in the class. His 4.66 40, 7.07 three-cone drill and 4.33 shuttle drill suggest he may not have the type of explosiveness and elusiveness Nagy is looking for in a running back.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, you have to trust what you see on tape. Therefore, the Combine will be one component of the evaluation for Ryan Pace. Ultimately, he’s going to have to answer the question of whether these guys can be meaningful contributors for the Bears.