Chicago Bears: Five darkhorse NFL Draft prospects at 20th overall

4. DL Christian Barmore, Alabama

Akiem Hicks, Roy Robertson-Harris, Brent Urban, and Mario Edwards Jr. The Bears could lose a lot of talent on the defensive line this offseason. The most significant name would be Hicks, who’s developed into a cornerstone on defense. Cutting Hicks would actually save Chicago $10.5 million dollars in cap space.

One name that could replace Hicks would be Alabama’s Christian Barmore, who’s still growing as  a player. Throughout the early parts of his college career, he was used mostly as a rotational defender. In 22 games over the last two seasons, Barmore has 63 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and ten sacks.

The sole red flag that exists with Barmore is that he has yet to become a full-time starter. At the next level, this could present a challenge for him, especially for a team that is looking for a day-one starter for a player who’s considered to be a first-round pick.

Barmore isn’t a finished product. On tape, he continues to flash potential but for him to take the next step, adding more pass rushing moves to his arsenal and combating double teams are two areas that he must improve in. Had he returned to college for his junior season, Barmore likely has the ability to be one of the first defensive lineman selected off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft.