Chicago Bears: Pass Rushers They Must Target In 2018 Draft

Arden Key /

The Chicago Bears really have the witches’ curse at the moment. Their entire stable of pass rushers appears too brittle to survive the NFL.

Pernell McPhee has undergone knee surgery for the second-straight offseason. This leaves the veteran outside linebacker in a state of unknown on whether he’ll be able to play in 2017. Leonard Floyd, their young upstart has concussion problems in his recent background too. Go down the list and pretty much every pass rusher they have has dealt with health issues.

This almost certainly paints a clear picture for 2018. They have to start filling the pipeline with more talent at that position. Never mind the injuries. There’s also an age issue creeping up on guys like Willie Young and Lamarr Houston. It’s apparent the rebuild is far from finished for GM Ryan Pace, especially if McPhee is gone after this season.

So with that in mind here are five names the Bears could look at in the draft next year.

Arden Key (LSU)

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As of right now the buzz around LSU defensive end Arden Key is consistently loud. Per usual the SEC has a wealth of defensive talent and the Tigers are a factory for it. Key is a 6’6″ monstronsity with long arm, surprisingly good bend and the burst to beat tackles around the edge. He’s still growing into his frame and learning how to use his hands. Once he does? Game over.

Dorance Armstrong Jr. (Kansas)

Getting 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss as a sophomore usually hints that a young defender has serious talent. Indeed Dorance Armstrong has plenty of that. He has that ability to switch from forward to reverse, usuing his athleticism and quickness to create confusion for offense. Mostly though he’s just good at attacking the backfield. Doesn’t matter if they pass or throw, somebody is getting hit behind the line of scrimmage.

Marcell Frazier (Missouri)

Missouri has sort of become Pass Rusher University over the past seven years or so. It’s produced a number of quality QB hunters including Aldon Smith, Shane Ray and Markus Golden. The Miami Dolphins just made Charles Harris a 1st round pick too. Marcell Frazier is in that same category. Athletic, strong and has that gift of knowing how to beat blockers. A natural instinct. Vic Fangio had plenty of success the last time he got one of these guys.

Harold Landry (Boston College)

Landry might be the most polished pass rusher going in college football. He has that look of a Khalil Mack about him. He goes to a second tier school but still manages to stand out every week thanks to his athleticism, motor and production. Dropping 16 quarterbacks in a college season is pretty impressive. His versatility is a big reason for that success. Landry has the underrated ability to bring heat from both the right and left sides. So there’s no escaping him.

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