Jake Hummel Continues Growing Trend With Bears Pre-Draft Visits

The NFL draft is less than a week away. GM Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have scrambled to gather every last bit of information possible. The odds are good that they've set their board and are going through potential scenarios on what will happen if certain players are available when they go on the clock. Meanwhile, they continue to meet with prospects they have their eyes on. One of them is linebacker Jake Hummel. According to Ian Rapoport, the Iowa State standout paid a visit to Halas Hall on Wednesday, joining a long list of other players. He turned some heads at the Cyclones' pro day, running an impressive 40-yard dash and showcasing his excellent agility for somebody at his position. It was enough to make people wonder if he was being overlooked.

Hummel has some fans, but expectations for him are low.

Since 2019, he has collected 196 tackles, three interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, and a forced fumble. The concerns stem from his size. At 6'1, he is on the shorter side for linebackers, and it showed in his inconsistent tackling ability. He also had a bad tendency to get overwhelmed by bigger blockers. So what's the appeal. Dane Brugler of The Athletic explained that it comes from good instincts, intelligence, effort, and special teams experience.

"Hummel floats well in space with terrific diagnosis skills and a feel for angles to find the quickest route to the play. He battles his tail off at contact, but he can be overwhelmed by blockers and has room to tidy up his tackling. His active feet and alert eyes will lead him to the football in coverage. Overall, Hummel doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, but he processes well with NFL-worthy athleticism and toughness to be a core special teamer."

Current projections have him as a priority undrafted free agent. This continues a rather interesting trend for the Bears. When looking at their list of known pre-draft visits, one could argue that most of them have been with players with low odds of being drafted. Why do that when Poles has said he wants to build through the draft? There is in fact a hidden strategy behind this approach.

Jake Hummel visit doubled as a recruiting pitch.

One thing must be kept in mind. The Bears only have six draft picks, including no 1st rounder. They might try to create more with trades, but even then, they still have 25+ roster spots to fill. They need more bodies. So if they can add enough via the draft, then the smart approach is to be aggressive on the undrafted market. Poles is doing that by bringing in several players he believes stand a good chance of being available after the 7th round concludes. By meeting with them, he's offered a chance to let them know the Bears are interested in them were they not to get drafted. It is a proven tactic teams have used in the past. This is why Seattle and New England always seem to have success with undrafted players every year. They do a strong job of recruiting them, promising opportunities.

Chicago is doing the same with guys like Jake Hummel.

He may never become that all-too-rare hidden gem that morphs into a proven starter. At the same time, he has the profile of a future special teams ace. Such players hold great value too. The Bears want players that can do more than one thing well. Prioritizing special teams prowess is smart and has served them well in the past.