Chicago Bears: Final 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft

I recently wrote an article about sleeper picks the Bears could target late in the draft. Devine Ozigbo is my No. 1 target in that regard. The more film I see of this guy the more confused I get. He just does not receive any love from the scouting community. Sure, some say they like him, but most still have him going in the fifth round.

Ozigbo has the size (5-11, 222 pounds) to run over defenders and get the tough yards. He also has the body control and balance to cut and get away from them. He also has the speed to break out and make a big play. To top it off, he has good hands to make catches out of the backfield. Also, he played in one of the toughest conferences in college football. In short, he has all the tools to be a pretty good back in the NFL.

Despite that, Ozigbo wasn’t even invited to the NFL Combine.

One of the reasons why scouts are concerned about Ozigbo is that he had just one successful season. In his first three seasons, he totaled 1,114 yards on 264 carries (4.2 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. He also had 26 catches for 285 yards (10.96 yards per catch). In his senior season, however, he had 155 carries for 1,082 yards (7.0 yards per run) and 12 touchdowns. He added 23 catches for 203 yards (8.0 yards per catch).

Some scouts worry that Ozigbo is a one-hit wonder. From what I see, though, it was the Cornhuskers’ system. They usually have four or five running backs taking turns running the ball. They also have the quarterback run a lot as well. In 2018, Adrian Martinez ran the second-most times with 140 rushes. The system isn’t conducive for having one big star, though Ozigbo starred in 2018.

That situation is similar to what the Bears want to do. While Davis and maybe Ozigbo do a lot of the runs, they’ll share some snaps with Cohen and Patterson. That will keep the defenses guessing.

Another thing the system does is keep the running backs fresh. That is something else the scouts worry about with Ozigbo. With his hard running, he’s had some big hits. The concern is that those violent collisions will stunt his time as a professional. Spreading the ball around helps prevent that.

Ozigbo makes big plays. In 2018 he had touchdown runs of 40, 60 and 66 yards. This is something the Bears rushing attack lacked last season. Having the threat of a big play coming on the ground helps open things up for the passing game.

Ozigbo impressed in Nebraska’s Pro Day. He ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds, which got him from being a seventh-round or even undrafted prospect to going in the fifth. The Chicago Bears are one of three teams who expressed interest in Ozigbo. The New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings are the others. The Saints have a loaded backfield and the Vikings have a good ground game and have Jerick McKinnon returning after missing all of last season because of injury.

The Chicago Bears would be getting the steal if they decide to pick Ozigbo up. His combination of size, speed and elusiveness make him a perfect fit in the offense.