Jonathan Bullard was a disruptive force at Florida, racking up 17.5 tackles for loss in his senior season, and the Chicago Bears will hope that he wreaks the same kind of havoc in the NFL after taking him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the No. 72 overall selection.
Jonathan Bullard selected by Bears in 3rd round
Bullard is a run-stuffer for now, but has potential to eventually become a complete player if he can add pass rushing skills.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
A former five-star recruit, Bullard arrived at Florida with plenty of hype and made an immediate impact as a true freshman, with appearances in all 13 games and 1.5 sacks. But he bounced around the Gators’ defensive line, playing inside and out, and never turned into a truly productive pass rusher.
Through the first three seasons of his collegiate career, he had 5.5 sacks and added 6.5 more in his senior season, but those numbers pale in comparison to some of the top pass rushers of the draft class. However, Bullard’s prowess as a run stuffer was often on display, as he used his quick first step and punch off the line of scrimmage to blast opposing offensive lineman out of position.
"I [create] a lot of disruption, and I make things easier for my teammates to make plays," Bullard said at the NFL Combine. "I can do whatever you want me to do on your defensive line, inside to outside, quickness to hold the point. So I think I'm going to bring a lot to your team."
In a blowout loss to Michigan in the 2016 Citrus Bowl, Bullard was one of the only Florida players who was a consistent problem for the Wolverines to try and deal with:
Using that quick first step and leverage to be a force in the run game is likely Bullard's best chance at being an early contributor for the Bears. In the Pro Football Focus scouting report of Bullard, he's compared to Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe who took some time to develop into something more than a run stopper.
Prior to his 2015 breakout as a pass rusher, Wolfe was primarily a force in the running game along multiple spots on the defensive line. Bullard has that same potential to make an impact against the run, while possibly developing into more of a pass rushing presence later in his career.
But make no mistake, there is huge potential for Bullard to become a player who gets after quarterbacks, as well. His 32-inch vertical jump, 116-inch broad jump and 10-yard split of 1.65 seconds are all average marks for an edge rusher, but exceptional for a 285-pound lineman and show his burst and explosion is superior to most defensive tackles.
He’ll likely never be a player who consistently wins by bending around the edge, if Bullard can harness that ability to penetrate and pair it with leverage to blast offensive linemen off balance, the Bears may have a future terror on its defensive front.
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