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Chicago Bears Draft Profiles: Danny Shelton

By Kyle Brutman

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Welcome to the second part of the Chicago Bears Draft Profiles, a series in which I delve into the top three options at the No. 7 pick for the Chicago Bears in the 2015 NFL Draft. The series will be followed by a full seven-round Bears mock draft leading up to Draft Day. The first episode featured West Virginia’s star receiver Kevin White. Today, we’ll look at the defensive tackle from the University of Washington, Danny Shelton.

Shelton was an animal at the nose position for the Huskies in 2014, finishing in the top-20 in the FBS in both tackles for loss (16.5) and sacks (9.0). He came into his senior season on Sporting News’s Preseason First Team All-America list, and exited the year in the same position, so his performance did not come as a surprise to many.

Four of his sacks came in a dominating performance against Eastern Washington, more sacks than his career total prior to that game and the most in a game by a Washington player since 1989.

At 6’2″, Shelton is around the average height for a defensive lineman, but he weighs in at a massive 339 pounds. To put that into perspective, former long-time nose tackle for the New England Patriots Vince Wilfork is known as one of the biggest and strongest at his position in the NFL. Wilfork is also listed as 15 pounds LESS than Shelton, so the long-haired giant from Washington-state brings a big presence to the defensive line.

Shelton’s NFL combine performance  stood out as one of the best among his position. While his 5.64 40-yard dash time isn’t all that impressive, it is not something that he’ll necessarily rely on to play his position well. He did, however, finish in the top-10 in the vertical jump (30.50 inches) and put up the second-most bench press reps among defensive tackles at 34 reps. Seriously, imagine yourself lifting almost 350 pounds 30 inches high in a vertical leap.

Nov 1, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Washington Huskies defensive lineman Danny Shelton (55) sacks Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau (13) in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. The Huskies defeated the Buffaloes 38-23. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Off the field at the combine, Shelton displayed a very attractive personality that made him one of the most interviewed players at the event. Having a player with a good personality to add to their ability is always a plus.

Watching Danny Shelton, you would think that he puts magnets on the ball because he can always be found somewhere near the football. He led the nation in individual fumble recoveries last season with five, and his sack and tackle for loss total can complement that fact.

When blockers are on Shelton, they are almost in no control of their actions, as the beast of a man pushes them around like a schoolyard bully. His ability to push back offensive linemen and ability to single-handedly collapse the pocket is phenomenal and rare to find in a draft prospect.

Shelton is much more notorious for his run-stopping ability than his pass-rushing ability, which is pretty impressive considering the 9.5 sacks he piled up last season, so he can definitely be looked at as a very well-rounded nose tackle.

Shelton is also very durable, playing in every single game for the Huskies during his four-year collegiate career–playing 80 percent of the team’s snaps in that time.

He is also very smart, becoming the only player in the nation last year to be named to both the first-team All-America team and Academic All-America team, and the first Washington player to be named to the latter since 1991.

The Bears are in deep need of a player like Danny Shelton. As the defense switches to a 3-4 defense this season, new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio finds himself voided of a tackle big enough to anchor the line. No defensive tackle on the roster weighs more than 315 pounds, and the only DT with a good amount of NFL experience is the aging Jeremiah Ratliff.

With the selection of Shelton, the Bears would get themselves a force in the middle of the trenches that can be relied on to be on the field almost every play. If head coach John Fox decides to draft him, I don’t see why he shouldn’t be the starter from game one.

Next: Chicago Bears Draft Profiles: Kevin White

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