Chicago Bears fill holes as Ryan Poles builds a contender for the NFC North title

Round 4, #124 Overall: Maason Smith, Defensive Tackle, LSU

With the departure of Justin Jones via free agency, it looks as if second-year man Gervon Dexter will become the starter. He made great strides as the season progressed in 2023. With his promotion, the Bears will need a backup for him.

That is where Maason Smith comes in. He has a huge frame at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds. What makes him more impressive is that he is much more athletic than you would expect from someone that size. He reacts quickly to the snap and explodes. That reaction helps him create a surge quickly.

With his size Smith has the upper body strength to control the blocker. He also has a good pop with his hands. With that, he could jar the blocker and knock him off balance.

Analyzing Smith is difficult because he missed the entire 2022 season (except for one quarter) due to an ACL injury, However, his skills and athleticism are on full display and scouts fall in love with him.

Against the run, Smith quickly recognizes block assignments and adjusts accordingly. When rushing the passer, he has a good arm over move that he uses when doing a bull rush. That helps counter whatever the blocker tries to do and even if he does not get to the passer, he frees up his arm so he can raise it and attempt to block the pass.