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After taking linebacker Leonard Floyd in the 1st Round of the 2016 Draft, they went offense in the 2nd Round with OL Cody Whitehair.
To kick off the 3rd Round, the Bears went back to the defensive side and selected defensive end Jonathan Bullard (6'3", 285 lbs) from Florida.
Bullard has an explosive step off the line of scrimmage, and while he played multiple positions on Florida's defensive line, he will settle into a pure edge rusher for Chicago.
From WCG's own EJ Snyder:
"The first thing you see on Jonathan's tape is that he is first. He wins off the snap on basically every snap, more consistently than any player I've watched since Aaron Donald. Bullard is lightning quick. However there is always a concern with players who show that ability. The worry is that they are a "snap jumper": a player who simply masters more simplistic college snap counts and uses that (rather than athleticism) to win. After Bullard left the combine testing circuit in a pile of smoking ruins most of the worries that he couldn't win with his athletic traits were gone. At 285 pounds he ran sub-5-second (4.93) 40-yard dash, jumped 32" vertically, 116" horizontally and pulled off a very respectable 7.31 second 3-cone drill. For a very large man he can really move and that's evident on his film time after time."
"STRENGTHS: The broad-shouldered defender was asked to line up at virtually every spot along Florida's defensive line, but projects best as a base defensive end in the NFL, exhibiting the length, strength and toughness to intrigue scouts from 4-3 and 3-4 schemes, alike. Bullard is appropriately named as his game is about bullish power. He flashes an explosive burst off the ball, and does a nice job of getting his arms into passing lanes to distract quarterbacks.
Bullard's value lies in his ability to hold up at the point of attack in the running game. Exhibiting impressive lower-body strength, he anchors well and has the length to set the edge and keep containment responsibilities. He doesn't possess Dexter Fowler's nimble change of direction or explosive closing speed, but locates the ball quickly and shows good strength to latch on and drag down ballcarriers in his vicinity.
He also will receive praise from NFL scouts for his willingness to play through pain and still make an impact as a senior."
Here are some highlights: