The Chicago Bears are putting the finishing touches on their NFL draft board. Getting as many meetings in as they can. There is no such thing as too much information. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic creating even more hurdles to clear. GM Ryan Pace likely has his list of players he covets and hopes will fall to the 2nd round where he’ll have a shot at them. Could one of them be Marlon Davidson?
Of all the defensive linemen in the 2020 draft class, few have risen up boards in the past couple of months more than him. The Auburn defensive end had a strong season in 2019 with 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss. He followed that up with a standout performance at the Senior Bowl. Physically he’s somewhat hard to pin down since he’s 6’3 but weighed in at 303 lbs at the scouting combine.
Is he an edge rusher? Is he a defensive tackle? Is he a 3-4 defensive end? For his part, Davidson has said he’ll play any position asked of him. He certainly has talent. Apparently enough to interest the Bears. During an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Wire, he revealed they were the only team to actually meet him in person prior to the coronavirus sweeping through the country.
“I made it out to Chicago. I went on a private top-30 visit with the Chicago Bears. That visit went down right before everybody started getting pulled off the road.”
Marlon Davidson brings energy and attitude
Watching the tape, it’s not hard to see why the Bears like Davidson. He plays with a nice mix of energy, effort, and nastiness. While he didn’t always get sacks, his was in the backfield a lot more often than he sometimes got credit for. His steady growth over a four-year period is also a good sign. He demonstrated an understanding of how to play the edge, keeping blockers off his body and finding different ways to beat them.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared him to Vinny Curry, the former 2nd round pick who became a vital rotational pass rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a key part of their championship-winning team in 2017. The big issue with Davidson is where he would play in Chicago. His career in college was spent as an edge rusher but he doesn’t fit the outside linebacker mold. Not unless he dropped some weight.
Could they move him to 3-4 end, similar to what they did with Bilal Nichols? That is possible. Either way, it’s apparent they see something in him worth considering.
