Feb. 17--The Bears' plan to feature a 3-4 front on defense requires impact edge rushers at both outside linebacker spots and a dominant nose tackle who can win at the line of scrimmage in the running game. The latter is a bit of a thankless role -- keeping offensive linemen off of linebackers doesn't exactly blow up the stat sheet -- but it's a critical one.
New general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have some nose tackle options to consider. Veteran Jeremiah Ratliff, who once filled that role with the Cowboys, is under contract for next season, but he'll be 34 in August and missed five games last season due to a concussion and knee injury. Stephen Paea, the Bears starting shade tackle, is scheduled to become a free agent. Ego Ferguson, the Bears' second-round pick in 2013, is intriguing because of how he controlled run blockers in college.
An argument can be made that the seventh overall draft pick is too valuable to use on a nose tackle and that a capable one could be selected in later rounds. However, as Pace and Fox mull their options, Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton is worth consideration, at least in the mind of NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.
"Shelton is a top-10 pick for me," Mayock said on a teleconference Monday. "I love him. Reminds me of Haloti Ngata (Ravens five-time Pro Bowler). "I think everybody sees that comparison. Powerful, better feet than you think, and I'm surprised at how many snaps he can play at a high level."
Shelton had nine sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss as a senior. His endurance stands out to Mayock.
"There are very few guys that play that position at 350 pounds that can play plus or minus 80% of the snaps," Mayock said. "In the NFL -- Wilfork and the freak from Kansas City, Dontari Poe -- there aren't many guys with size that can play so much. This kid played 80% of the snaps up and down the line of scrimmage. You can't run against them, and he gets them pushing the pocket. So I think he's a really intriguing guy."
