Bears Draft Target: DeWayne McBride |
Over the past few weeks, you have constantly heard different directions regarding what the Bears will do with the No. 9 overall pick. That all starts with trading the pick away, but then you look at the needs this team has and how it fits this pick.
The consensus decision right now is that if Jalen Carter falls to No. 9, then that is who the Bears will take. However, if Carter goes before, which it does appear that he will, then the Bears are looking at OL at No. 9, with Paris Johnson and Peter Skoronski as the most likely options for that decision. However, another rumor you are starting to hear is that the Bears are doing their homework on RBs and may be considering taking a RB. Bijon Robinson is the only RB to consider taking at No. 9, but don't look for the Bears to go RB there. Instead, look for them to address other needs first and then consider making a value pick for a RB later. Even though they have Khalil Herbert and D'Onte Foreman, the Bears are not going to hesitate to bring a RB in if they see value in him and see a potential fit. That could be former UAB RB DeWayne McBride, who is starting to climb into the Day 2 range in this year's draft. The 5-11 215-pound bowling ball is the perfect size for an NFL RB, which you always look for when drafting a RB. Despite not being a significant threat in the passing game, which the Bears need more out of, McBride put up video game-like numbers on the ground, making him an intriguing option for this team. Across his three seasons with the Blazers, McBride amassed 3507 yards on the ground on 484 carriers. That translates to 7.2 yards per carry which is unheard of at the FBS level of College football. He also broke 175 tackles on those carries, which comes out to be 36% of his runs having broken tackles. Only Robinson has more broken tackles than him, so you can see the company that McBride is in. Looking back at his career numbers, what makes them more impressive is that 3000 of those yards came in the past two seasons, including 1713 yards this past season. With that came 36 career touchdowns, including 19 this past season, as McBride was the definition of a game-changing RB. McBride is a productive runner with the physical/athletic attributes that could create an upward trajectory in the right situation. McBride is experienced and comfortable running in all blocking schemes. He’s smooth-hipped and runs with a good blend of shiftiness and power. McBride would benefit from a quicker tempo and decisiveness inside. He must eliminate ball security issues, or he could fall out of favor quickly. According to most NFL scouts, McBride is starting to garner Marlon Mack comparisons which is a good player to be compared to. When you look at the overall strengths of McBride, you look at 2022, when he topped the 120-yard mark in 10 of the 11 games he played, including seven straight at one point. He has good vision and uses his advantage behind his blockers while using his strength to break tackles when needed. McBride is one of the rare backs that not only looks for contact but also accelerates into the second level before making contact, which is why he had such a high yards-per-carry average. If he could become more versatile in the passing game, McBride could become an exceptional player and someone on the lines of Tarik Cohen, who the Bears miss. Along with the lack of production in the passing game, McBride has some things that could be improved, including being a below-average runner inside the tackles. Most of his success came when he bounced it to the outside, but you need to run between the tackles in the NFL. He has also struggled with ball security, which is the biggest issue leading him to his mid-round draft grade. He will not make it in this league if he can't correct the ball security issues. Either way, there is potential for someone to take a swing on him, even if it is in a reserve role.
