Could Trevis Gipson Be The Pass Rusher The Bears Need?

After not having a first round pick the Bears had two second round picks before a long break until they had a fifth round pick. But the Bears just couldn't quite wait so they traded a 2021 fourth round pick in order to get a fifth round pick this year in order to select Tulsa's Trevis Gipson. Even though the Bears have Khalil Mack and signed Robert Quinn this offseason, you can always use more pass rushers, so I took a look at Gipson to see what he could provide for the team.

Gipson is a long athlete that may have been misused at Tulsa as a 3-4 defensive end where he is probably best standing and rushing the passer, and that potential for an explosion in production is what made him so alluring to the Bears. He still had eight sacks and fifteen tackles for loss, so it's not like he was unproductive during his senior season.

Since there is no game to break down for Gipson, let's just look at this video that I'm sure shows the good and bad of Gipson produced by YouTube user, GipsonBros.

On the highlight reel, there is a lot of hustle sacks. But one thing that was really good to see is how he was able to rush from the inside.

The nice thing about this is that it allows the Bears a ton of versatility in their pass rush. They can consistently give different looks with a variety of athletes rushing the quarterback from different spots along the line, and I am sure this was a big reason why the Bears were so excited to acquire him.

Overall, I like the pick. I don't expect Gipson to be a starter, but he should add immediate value as a situational pass rusher. There is potential for him to evolve into more if the switch to a more natural position unlocks more skills. Even if he doesn't show anything more than what he showed in college, it's still good value for the fifth round.

Previous Chicago Bears 2020 Draft Profiles
2nd Round - Cole Kmet - Tight End - Notre Dame
Undrafted - Ahmad Wagner - Tight End / Power Forward - Kentucky / Iowa
2nd Round - Jaylon Johnson - Cornerback - Utah
5th Round - Trevis Gipson - Edge Rusher - Tulsa