The scouting combine is almost at hand. This is where prospects get a chance to fortify their draft standing with standout performances in athletic drills. While some teams don't want to put too much value in test scores, it is still a valuable tool to help indicate the best athletes. After two years of watching the Chicago Bears work under GM Ryan Poles, it is evident they love targeting great athletes. One invaluable resource to help illustrate this is the annual Bruce Feldman Freaks List he published for The Athletic. In it, he offers data on several college players who post significant physical numbers.
If people had read the list in August of 2022, they would've noticed some familiar names pop up: Gervon Dexter and Noah Sewell. Both made the list. The same was true of Kyler Gordon, Dominique Robinson, and Jaquan Brisker the previous year. If Bears fans are looking for a resource that might help project certain overlooked names the team will be watching at the combine, it's this. Here are some notable standouts from Feldman's most recent list worth keeping in mind.
The Chicago Bears love freaks.
Braelon Allen (RB, Wisconsin)
"The 19-year-old running back is a repeat selection for the Freaks List. Last year he made it on the strength of his power-cleaning 406 pounds and clocking a 1.49 in his 10-yard split. He benched 365. Allen has bulked up 10 more pounds to 245 now."
Carrying on the Badgers tradition of stout running backs, Allen was the workhorse for them over the past three seasons. In that time, he compiled 3,494 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns.
Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
"Corley, who arrived at WKU in the summer of COVID-19 at 193 pounds, is up to 220 on his 5-11 frame, looking more like a running back than your typical receiver. He’s hit 23 MPH on the GPS and clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash. His 4.08 shuttle time and 355-pound bench also are excellent."
When a receiver is the focal point of the offense, he must be pretty good. Corley compiled 253 catches for 2,970 yards and 29 touchdowns across 40 games as a starter.
Jacob Monk (C, Duke)
"The 6-3, 319-pound Monk, a team captain, has tremendous strength, power-cleaning 386 pounds, bench-pressing 445 and squatting 626, but he also moves really well going 1.78 seconds on his 10-yard split and vertical-jumping 30.5 inches."
Monk was a fixture for the Blue Devils' offensive line, helping protect standout quarterback Riley Leonard while also paving the way for a running game that averaged 184 and 167 yards per game, respectively.
Kris Jenkins (DT, Michigan)
"Jenkins recently did a Turkish get-up with a 170-pound dumbbell — the heaviest Herbert has ever witnessed. Jenkins does pull-ups with a 100-pound weight strapped to his waist. He also moves incredibly well for being a 300-plus pounder, running a 7.16 3-cone, a 4.33 shuttle, broad-jumping 9-8 and vertical-jumping 34 inches."
His primary responsibility was stopping the run, and Jenkins did it well. Michigan allowed only 90 yards per game en route to their national title. Yet the guy popped as a pass rusher from time to time.
Malik Mustapha (S, Wake Forest)
"The 5-10, 205 junior is a 1,300-pound lifter (that includes his bench, squat and clean) and has vertical-jumped 36 1/2 inches this offseason. He also plays really, really fast, having hit 23 MPH on the GPS in a game."
The Chicago Bears seem to love defensive backs with versatility. Mustapha had three INTs, four force fumbles, four sacks, 15 tackles for a loss, and 175 tackles in three seasons. He was everywhere.
Other names on the list could be in play as well. A lot of this will come down to who tests well at the combine. That will validate the data Chicago likely has. If you see any of these names pop up during drills over the next two weeks, be sure to keep them circled once the draft gets going in April.
