Chicago Bears: Early 7-round 2019 NFL mock draft

Behind Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, the Bears aren’t exactly loaded on the edge. Put simply, more pass-rushing talent is needed heading into 2019. Unfortunately, lacking a first- or second-round pick limits their opportunities to find early-impact players.

So instead, Chicago takes a shot at landing themselves a sleeper with the selection of Hollins here in the fifth round. Now depending on mid-round rookies is never an ideal option, but it’s not like the Bears have a ton of flexibility with so few draft assets to work with. However, I think they could be uncovering a diamond in the rough with the Oregon product.

Put simply, Hollins is a playmaker. He’s not an elite athlete, and he isn’t going to beat every other linebacker in the 40-yard dash. What he is going to do is stand out on film, because he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Take this play for example:

That’s only a small sample of his playmaking abilities, which he wasn’t shy to show off throughout his time at Oregon. Just look at the last two years: 116 total tackles (23.5 for loss), 8.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and two interceptions. As you can tell, he’s not too shabby at getting after the quarterback either.

Some may say it’s a long shot, but Hollins has already flashed potential. Given an opportunity to play behind and learn from Mack and Floyd, he may just develop into a quality backup edge defender.