Out of the 11 draft picks the
Chicago Bears made in April, it feels like the most overlooked is
Trestan Ebner. Running backs aren't considered a premium position in today's NFL. Not compared to quarterbacks, wide receivers, or offensive linemen. Ebner was still a somewhat special case. Despite having five seasons at Baylor, he never managed to crack 800 yards rushing in a season. That isn't why he was drafted.
The Bears saw his value elsewhere, partly as a strong kick returner and a receiver out of the backfield. Ebner had three kick return touchdowns between 2020 and 2021 and had 127 catches in college, including 11 touchdowns. It makes one curious if he might be better than his 6th round draft status is letting on. Former Bears scout
Greg Gabriel thinks so. He went so far as to say the new running back exhibits eerily similar traits to a familiar face among fans.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gabriel-Talks-Football-Chicago-Bears-WRs-TEs-RBs2022_06_25_16_55_57.mp4"][/video]
Trestan Ebner does have that kind of versatility.
Tarik Cohen was 5'6 coming out of North Carolina A&T. Ebner is 5'11. Their 40 times are practically identical, with Cohen running a 4.42 and Ebner a 4.43. The natural hands for catching passes are there, as is the fearlessness for returning. If there is one advantage Cohen had, it's his traditional ability as a running back. He was excellent in that department both in college and with the Bears.
That shouldn't matter, though. Chicago doesn't need Trestan Ebner to be a running back. They have David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert for that job. Coaches are free to move him around, creating advantageous matchups. If he turns out like Cohen, this offense is considerably better than it was when the offseason began.
With defenses forced to account for him as a receiving threat, it will pull coverages away from teammates, giving guys like Darnell Mooney or
Cole Kmet one-on-one situations. There is a massive benefit to having players like Ebner in an offense. It will be interesting to see if he can carve out a role for himself as a rookie.
Loading comments...