#ProTops: Talking Joel Iyiegbuniwe as a Bear with Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante
When we look for places to go for our Q&A’s, we almost always hit up a team’s SBNation site first, and when Joel Iyiegbuniwe was selected…
When we look for places to go for our Q&A’s, we almost always hit up a team’s SBNation site first, and when Joel Iyiegbuniwe was selected by the Bears in the NFL Draft, this was no exception.
I hit up the Bears’ SBN site, Windy City Gridiron, and staff writer Jacob Infante answered some questions I had about what Bears’ fans feelings were on Iggy and where he’ll fit in with the Block C this year. Enjoy!
The Towel Rack: When the Bears first made their pick, I thought it would be a nice fit for Iggy in the Windy City. However, after reading some post-draft grades, including WCG’s initial grade of the move, it seems to prove a different story. Could you elaborate on why it was a bit of a head scratching move by the Bears to make that selection when they did?
Jacob Infante: I personally found the pick to be surprising for two reasons: Iyiegbuniwe wasn’t known by many people and the Bears had already drafted an inside linebacker earlier in the draft, as they selected Roquan Smith with the eighth overall pick in the first round. Considering the other needs that they had, it was a bit shocking to see them double down on inside linebacker.
TTR: Everyone seems to have him penciled in on regular special teams time, but will he see defensive snaps as well or is there too much talent ahead of him?
JI: He’s going to have to fight with the aforementioned Smith and Danny Trevathan for starting snaps, which is a battle he’s probably not going to win. The Bears also have backups Nick Kwiatkoski, Jonathan Anderson, John Timu and Nyles Morgan, and, although Iyiegbuniwe is likely to get more snaps than at least three of those players (with Kwiatkoski being the exception), it may still be an uphill struggle for him to get consistent defensive snaps.
TTR: In the week or so since the draft, what has been the reaction from you, the WCG staff and Bears fans in general about Iggy, not just in terms of where he’ll fit on the Bears, but football wise as well?
JI: Iyiegbuniwe is an athletic and instinctive linebacker who will excel when given the opportunity to be in space. A lot of people have found the move questionable due to the reasons listed previously, but Bears fans — the WCG staff included — have starting warming up to him as a stand-out special teamer and a potential starter.
TTR: What type of defensive scheme is run by the Bears, and where is the best fit for Iggy in that scheme?
JI: The Bears run a base 3–4. He will likely serve as a backup JACK linebacker.
TTR: What is the best case scenario for Iggy in, say, the next three years?
JI: The best case scenario is that he starts off as a special teams stud before taking Trevathan’s spot in the next two or these years.
TTR: What is the worst case scenario in that same time span?
JI: The worst case scenario is that he stays on special teams and doesn’t make much of an impact on defense.
TTR: You guys gave the move a C in the moments after the selection. Here we are a week later — still gonna stick to that grade?
JI: Even though it’s not my grade, I would give the move a B- or a C+. I still would have preferred a prospect at a bigger need, but I trust general manager Ryan Pace’s eye for mid-round talent.
I’d like to thank Jacob again for answering our questions, and apologize to him for delaying this coming out (a quick peak behind the curtain — he got his answers to me like on Thursday. My bad, Jacob).
If you missed it, I answered some questions for him and the WCG gang, so check that out as well. z