Ruben Hyppolite was a surprise. That much was obvious from the reaction of both fans and media when the Chicago Bears selected the Maryland linebacker in the 4th round. GM Ryan Poles even joked whether the media trucks for ESPN and NFL Network would have game footage of him to play during the post-pick breakdown. The fan reaction was predictable. Some experts saw him as an undrafted free agent. Hearing that and knowing the Bears just used a valuable pick to land Hyppolite resulted in a predictable outcry.
He was a terrible reach.
That led to the inevitable question. Why? Why did the Bears feel compelled to take the linebacker so early? The easy answer was his pro day. Hyppolite was clocked in at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which is blistering at 240 lbs. There are very few linebackers with that type of speed. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic doesn't believe that was the primary selling point. It helped, to be sure. The truth, though, is Hyppolite almost certainly secured his spot in Chicago with his visit to Halas Hall.
Ruben Hyppolite is further proof of the draft process.
Being a great athlete is a key part of it. So is having good game tape. Still, the truth is that these things are won and lost in the interviews. If you tank a meeting with a team for whatever reason, they won't feel comfortable drafting you. Sure, they want talented players, but more than that, they want players they can trust. Mitch Trubisky is a perfect example. Nobody considered him more talented than Patrick Mahomes. The key difference was that he nailed his interview with the Bears. GM Ryan Pace became smitten. The rest is history. It also became true for Ruben Hyppolite. He said the right things to the right people, so they moved him up their board.
