Matt Eberflus said he wanted speed on defense. That goes for every level, from the defensive line to the linebackers and secondary. Already Chicago Bears fans can see the trend shifting in that direction with the arrival of free agent Nicholas Morrow. Though undersized for a linebacker, he made his name in Las Vegas for his excellent range and coverage ability. Now it seems the team is targeting similar types in the upcoming draft. Devin Harper is one of them.
When talking about Oklahoma State linebackers, everybody will mention Malcolm Rodriguez first. He was outstanding for the Cowboys across four years and was their unquestioned leader. That made it easy to miss his wingman Harper who got steadily better at the same time, culminating in a standout 2021 where he had 95 tackles, six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Pretty good for a player considered undersized at 6'0 and 235 lbs.
Surprisingly, he doesn't get more attention.
That isn't the case for the Bears. There were on hand to watch his pro day at Oklahoma State, where he blew everybody away with a great workout, including a 40-inch vertical leap and a 40-yard dash that timed in the low 4.4 range. That speed and explosiveness show up on tape too. Not only was he able to hunt down runners, but he also showcased lots of potential in coverage. It isn't shocking the Bears have opted to meet with him since that showing.Devin Harper should end up being a Day 3 pick. Expect to hear his name somewhere in the 5th to 7th round range. Several teams will shy away from him because of his size. That won't bother Eberflus. He's worked around such problems in the past and gotten results. Not to mention the linebacker has loads of potential as a special teams player. It is another intriguing name on a long list GM Ryan Poles is putting together ahead of the draft. With no 1st round pick, the team has to hope they can score a hit or two in the later rounds. Harper would be a worthwhile gamble.
Loading comments...