Bears Insider Indicates The Ruben Hyppolite Buzz Is Very Real

The Chicago Bears love the makeup of their latest draft class. It is a group high on athleticism, speed, and potential. One would think that coming out of spring practices, the biggest topics of conversation would be their high draft choices. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden were the top two picks. Unfortunately, neither practiced due to health issues. Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Stewart couldn't stand out since no pads were on. That opened the door for later picks to shine, and Ruben Hyppolite led the way.

Nobody reacted positively when the Bears chose the linebacker out of Maryland. Most had never even heard of him. Experts considered him more of an undrafted free agent type, which made taking him in the 4th round look like a reach. Chicago didn't care. They loved his rare speed and mental makeup. Given the right circumstances, he could be a great fit in Dennis Allen's defense. Based on early returns, that was a smart investment. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times made it pretty clear.

Hyppolite's path to the starting lineup is not at all steep.

Ruben Hyppolite II, though, has a chance to be one of the three linebackers to take the field for the first snap against the Vikings on “Monday Night Football.”

Head coach Ben Johnson singled out Hyppolite at the end of mandatory minicamp this month, saying the Bears saw the most improvement from him among all their players.

“He’s done a nice job of learning,” he said. “He’s swimming a little bit, but he’s taking it seriously.”

More so than his rookie peers, the fourth-round pick has the best mix of potential and opportunity. If the Bears stick to their plan to start their third-best linebacker — behind TJ Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds — at the strong-side spot, Hyppolite should like his odds. Amen Ogbongbemiga has played 34 defensive snaps in the last three years, while Noah Sewell and Swayze Bozeman have 39 defensive snaps combined in their NFL careers.

Ruben Hyppolite does face one considerable problem.

He spent his entire college career playing middle linebacker. He must learn to play outside in Allen's system to crack the starting lineup. The weak side, which might be his best fit, is already covered by T.J. Edwards, who just signed a contract extension. That leaves the strong side. The "SAM" position is often lined up against opposing tight ends, meaning they must be able to set the edge against the run while retaining enough range to play pass coverage. Ruben Hyppolite has the speed for the latter part. The bigger concern is whether he has the size and strength to stop the run. At 240 lbs, he has enough mass but is only 5'11. Bigger tight ends would have an immediate reach advantage on him. He must prove in training camp that he can find ways around that problem.