Chicago Bears 2020 NFL Draft: 6th Round defensive gems
By Ryan Heckman
2. Linebacker Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
If the Bears can land linebacker Shaquille Quarterman in the sixth round, you can forget about being sad over losing Nick Kwiatkoski. Some people might forget about inside linebacker as a fairly pressing need for Chicago, but depth there is a concern. The Bears would have immediate depth at inside linebacker with Quarterman on board.
The biggest reason he is going so late is due to his lack of overall speed and athleticism. Quarterman doesn’t do well if he’s asked to drop too far back into coverage and he’s not going to impress you with sideline-to-sideline speed. However, he’s quick enough to operate in the box at a high level.
Week 5 @ACCFootball Players of the Week:
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 1, 2018
2⃣ players earn Co-LB of the week
1st up @CanesFootball's Shaq Quarterman for his 2-sack performance vs. #UNC including this hit big fumble-causing hit!#ItsAllAboutTheU pic.twitter.com/kU1Gs7bInC
The best trait Quarterman possesses is his ability to read plays to the running back and stop them before they’re ever started. He was a tackle-for-loss machine with the Hurricanes. Quarterman’s film is littered with plays where he appears patient after the snap for about half a second, and after diagnosing what’s about to happen, he’s through the line of scrimmage tackling a ball carrier almost immediately.
Quarterman enters the NFL as a four-year starter with tons of experience, and his body has held up. Injuries are not an issue. He’s a strong, stocky linebacker with average height but plays with an edge. Last year at Miami, he finished with an impressive 107 tackles (15.5 for a loss). He also broke up five passes and recovered a pair of fumbles.