Chicago Bears: Selection of Joel Iyiegbuniwe has future in mind

Rookie inside linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe was a surprising fourth-round selection by the Chicago Bears and likely won’t make a significant impact until the 2019 season (or later).

The Chicago Bears surprised many people when they selected inside linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe in the fourth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite a desperate need for pass rushers, the Bears instead decided to select the 6-1, 229-pound inside linebacker from Western Kentucky. What made the selection even more surprising is the fact that pass rushers such as Josh Sweat and Dorance Armstrong were still on the board.

At first glance, the inside linebacker position is not an area of need, particularly after the selection of Roquan Smith in the first-round. Smith will pair with Danny Trevathan as the starters, with Nick Kwiatkowski, Johnathan Anderson, John Timu and now Iyiegbuniwe competing for the backup spots. It’s likely that the Bears will only keep four inside linebackers on the roster, meaning two players will be cut.

Since he’s a rookie, Iyiegbuniwe is a lock to make the roster. Kwiatkowski is also likely to make it, yet there’s been some talk that he could be on the trading block. Unless Anderson or Timu have a season-ending “injury” (see the Jordan Morgan situation last season), both have likely played their last regular season games as Bears.

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Iyiegbuniwe’s impact in 2018 will likely come on special teams, but it could grow significantly in 2019. Trevathan has two years left on his contract yet the Bears could cut ties with him at any time. He carries a cap hit of $7.15 million this season, yet if released, the Bears would save $4.65 million in cap space ($2.5 million in dead money). In 2019, however, a release of Trevathan would result in an increase of $6.4 million in cap space and only $1.25 million in dead money.

Trevathan is a good player when healthy, but he’s missed 11 games in his two-year Bears career and has played hurt in many others. Roquan Smith could began calling the defensive plays as early as this season and is a three-down linebacker. His presence alone might make Trevathan expendable, especially with the production not matching-up with Trevathan’s large cap hit.

Iyiegbuniwe could be groomed to compete for the starting inside linebacker spot in 2019 if Trevathan is cut. His rookie season could be considered a “redshirt” season, getting playing time on special teams and learning the ins-and-outs of an NFL defense in practice. Then, if a starting spot does open-up in 2019, Iyiegbuniwe could slide right in. Of course, this is all a moot point if Trevathan stays healthy and flourishes in 2018 (which would be the best-case scenario).

Next: Bears: Anthony Miller likely to play key role early

The selection of Iyiegbuniwe is a questionable one, but it could pay off later down the road. Ryan Pace says the Bears select the best player available in the draft, which led them to this pick. It’ll be fascinating to see how the careers of Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Sweat, and Dorance Armstrong shake out. Here’s hoping it’s Iyiegbuniwe who has the best one!