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The Chicago Bears zeroed in on defense for their first pick of Day 3 in the 2025 NFL Draft. Chicago traded down from pick No. 109 to pick No. 132 with the Buffalo Bills and selected linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II out of Maryland. Hyppolite is a speedy linebacker who should serve as depth behind Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards.
Hyppolite spent five seasons at Maryland, starting in 46 games. In the last two seasons, Hyppolite has totaled 132 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He brings a tremendous amount of speed and athleticism to the position and should find a role quickly on special teams.
The pick of Hyppolite surprised many people, especially considering he was ranked far lower on multiple big boards going into the draft. Does that mean the Bears made a bad pick? Here is our initial grade of the selection:
It seemed as if the Bears were targeting a running back early in the fourth round before two went off the board, and they decided to trade down. The decision to do so made sense, but the player they used the pick on is a head-scratcher. By all accounts, Hyppolite was a priority undrafted free agent, or someone who could have been had near the end of the draft. Replacing Jack Sanborn, an undrafted free agent, with a fourth-round pick feels like a mistake.
The good news is Hyppolite has rare speed, something Sanborn or fellow backup linebacker Noah Sewell do not have. He will make an impact on special teams and could see snaps on defense at some point. It's just that it feels like a reach. NFL general managers know things that draft analysts don't, but it's hard to think there were teams chomping at the bit to draft Hyppolite before the sixth round. We have seen this story before with players like Joel Iyiegbuniwe, who was a fine special teams player yet was drafted earlier than he should have been.
If Hyppolite becomes a heat-seeking missile on special teams and defense, this pick will look a lot better. Having the chance to learn from Tremaine Edmunds and especially TJ Edwards is a big positive for him. With the players and coaches he'll have, perhaps they can hone his raw ability and refine his technique. As of now, though, it's a reach.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Bears' pick of LB Ruben Hyppolite in the 2025 NFL Draft
Continue reading...
Hyppolite spent five seasons at Maryland, starting in 46 games. In the last two seasons, Hyppolite has totaled 132 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He brings a tremendous amount of speed and athleticism to the position and should find a role quickly on special teams.
The pick of Hyppolite surprised many people, especially considering he was ranked far lower on multiple big boards going into the draft. Does that mean the Bears made a bad pick? Here is our initial grade of the selection:
Draft details
- Pick No. 132
- Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II
- Maryland
Initial grade: D
It seemed as if the Bears were targeting a running back early in the fourth round before two went off the board, and they decided to trade down. The decision to do so made sense, but the player they used the pick on is a head-scratcher. By all accounts, Hyppolite was a priority undrafted free agent, or someone who could have been had near the end of the draft. Replacing Jack Sanborn, an undrafted free agent, with a fourth-round pick feels like a mistake.
The good news is Hyppolite has rare speed, something Sanborn or fellow backup linebacker Noah Sewell do not have. He will make an impact on special teams and could see snaps on defense at some point. It's just that it feels like a reach. NFL general managers know things that draft analysts don't, but it's hard to think there were teams chomping at the bit to draft Hyppolite before the sixth round. We have seen this story before with players like Joel Iyiegbuniwe, who was a fine special teams player yet was drafted earlier than he should have been.
If Hyppolite becomes a heat-seeking missile on special teams and defense, this pick will look a lot better. Having the chance to learn from Tremaine Edmunds and especially TJ Edwards is a big positive for him. With the players and coaches he'll have, perhaps they can hone his raw ability and refine his technique. As of now, though, it's a reach.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Grading the Bears' pick of LB Ruben Hyppolite in the 2025 NFL Draft
Continue reading...
