May 06--This is the fourth in our series of conversations with each Bears draft pick's college coaches.
Early on the third day of the NFL draft, the Bears made a move. They had a defender on the board they really liked. They saw a chance to pounce. And so general manager Ryan Pace made a trade to assure he got what he wanted, jumping up four slots to draft West Virginia linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
Kwiatkoski was a three-year starter and a team captain at West Virginia. He was a tackling machine who was always flying to the ball.
"The No. 1 trait when you're looking for a linebacker is instincts," Pace said. "You can't coach that. He just reacts so quickly and he attacks downhill. He's making tackles near the line of scrimmage. I think instincts transfer to whatever level you're playing at."
Kwiatkoski's arrival comes with an asterisk. He may need to cut his teeth on special teams after the Bears signed two presumptive inside linebacker starters in free agency in Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. But the Bears have high hopes for Kwiatkoski's long-term potential.
West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson spoke with the Tribune recently to share his thoughts on Kwiatkoski. Highlights from that Q
Nick was obviously a highly productive player during his time there. When you try to summarize his skill set and the things he does best, what jumps out to you?
Gibson: "He's such a physical player. And that's the biggest thing. He's very physical and he's athletic enough that he can do so many different things. He's so versatile. He's good in coverage because of that athleticism. And he's super against the run because of how physical he is. He's a great tackler. This is a kid who was on a defense with three other guys who were going to get drafted this year. And he was our defensive MVP the last two years. So that tells you something."
Nick came to West Virginia as a safety and converted to linebacker. What did you see in him as he grew more comfortable at linebacker?
"I wasn't here when Nick was being recruited. And I wasn't here his first year. So when I came in, he was already established at linebacker. But you could see his skill set and his athleticism immediately. You could see that he had played in space before. This was a high school tailback, a safety. So that transition was more about learning scheme than it was anything else. His lateral movement needed a little work."
What's the first thing you notice about his physicality?
"It's the way he takes on blocks. It's the way he hits backs. Hitting quarterbacks. It's the way he plays. Nick is so strong at the point of attack. He'll take on 300-pound guards and tackles and hit them and you'll watch them fall backwards. Plus he likes contact. There are some guys who do it because they have to. He seeks it out. He's that kind of guy. He's old school. ... When that pick came across, that Nick was going to be a Bear, you couldn't have a better fit for him. When you think defense in the NFL, that's one of the teams that pops to mind. I'm very excited for him. And I'm excited for Chicago. I know Nick and Kevin White are great friends. So they've had that relationship that will help."
When teams wanted background on Nick, what did you express as the area that he needs to improve most?
"The biggest thing with Nick is finding his position and continuing to develop with where they see him fitting. Here he went from (middle) linebacker to (strong side). So how do the Bears want to use him? So the next thing for him is learning that role and pushing forward. Nick's best football is ahead of him. If you really had to pick a flaw with him, it's very hard to do because he's 238 pounds and he's so athletic. He's big, strong, powerful and he can still move. But I think for him it's about learning the scheme and settling into one spot. We moved him around because he was our best linebacker. ... And he led the team in tackles both years, as an inside guy and an outside guy. So he's a guy who's going to be able to adapt and keep developing. And I think he'll be a guy who can play 10-12 years in the league."
When you think back on your time with Nick, what tells you all you need to remember about him as a player?
"At Maryland two years ago, we were in a pretty good game over there. And I knew at the time he was playing well. But when I got back and watched the film, it was spectacular. It seemed like he made every tackle. He finished with 12 or 13 tackles, a pass breakup. That game was the one where I thought, 'Wow. This kid is really good.' Everything was on display. He made plays all over the field -- in the passing game, in the running game. They ran an option one time and he came in the middle and forced the quarterback to pitch it and then went and made the play, quarterback to tailback. He was a guy who every time you threw the film on he was doing something different. It was big hits that he made. It was how physical he was against linemen. And he had an interception this year against Texas that was unbelievable. Pure reaction. How he caught the ball, I have no idea. He was 5 or 6 yards off the line of scrimmage and they're throwing a skinny post and he just jumps and catches the ball. Unreal play. Every week he did something new that opened your eyes. You'd think, 'Wow. That's pretty good.'"
The two words that come out of John Fox's mouth the most when he's listing the qualities he wants in the players the Bears are seeking out and trying to build around are "smart" and "tough." By all accounts, it seems as if Nick will have no shortcomings in either of those areas. Is that fair to say?
"If that's what they're looking for, he's got it all in him in those departments. They're going to be really happy. They got a great one and I think the kid will play a long time for them."
The Bears signed two likely starters at inside linebacker this offseason. Will Nick have the patience to wait, to spend the early parts of his NFL career as a special teams guy?
"No doubt. He can play on special teams right away. And I know they'll want to fit Nick in on defense soon, whether that's this year or next year. Nick will fit into exactly what they want him to do. And he'll always be a guy who won't miss a workout, won't get in any trouble and will represent the organization and the city very well."
dwiederer@tribpub.com
