Four XFL standouts that Bears should keep tabs on

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Tue Mar 14 17:00:25 GMT-05:00 2023

Week four of the XFL just wrapped up, with only six weeks left until the playoffs. There are a lot of things that scouts can learn from the XFL, such as the fact that it is probably not the place to look for an elite wide receiver. That’s alright for the Bears - we found our receiver in Carolina.

Still, there have been a few standouts that have shown great potential to help Chicago in the NFL.

Morgan Ellison - Running Back

I’ve talked about Morgan Ellison before; honestly, he’s my favorite player in the XFL. But there's a good reason for that - he’s the best running back in the XFL right now. After featuring him following the second week of the season, he had the best game of any running back so far this season in Week 3, registering the first 100-yard game out of any running back in the XFL. Currently, this running back from the Seattle Sea Dragons leads the XFL in rushing with 239 yards and averaging a league-leading (minimum of fifteen rushing attempts) of 5.2 yards per carry. Further, 32.6% of his runs result in first downs, which is also leading the XFL (minimum of twenty attempts). Adding a talented running back like Ellison to the Bears’ backfield will only serve to benefit them and provide a change of pace in their run game.

Morgan Ellison is one of the most dominant running backs in the #XFL.

Each time his number gets called, he fights to earns each and every yard.

Many NFL teams need dominant players like Ellison on their squad!#Bears | #Bengals | #Bills

pic.twitter.com/mLL01ADpbt
— Matthew John B (@Matthew_Bassham) March 5, 2023

Luq Barcoo - Defensive Back

Luq Barcoo plays for the San Antonio Brahmas; the Brahmas aren’t having that great of a season so far as they are sitting at a 1-3 record. Things were close throughout the entire game on Saturday, though, with Barcoo getting an interception to give them a chance right at the end of the game. Unfortunately, the offense didn’t take advantage of that. Nonetheless, Barcoo made plays throughout the entire game getting pass breakups, the interception, and putting hard hits on receivers. In addition, he has a total of 16 tackles and a sack so far this season. The Bears are a little thin at defensive back, although they do have a knack for finding talented young players. Perhaps Barcoo could be another young player for Chicago to give a chance and see how he develops on the team.

Trent Harris - Linebacker

The Bears just signed linebacker TJ Edwards who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, who was one of the best linebackers in coverage last year according to Pro Football Focus. Then, they signed Tremaine Edmunds, who came from the Buffalo Bills. So, why do the Bears need a linebacker? Because you need depth at a position as important as the linebacker position. Trent Harris of the Houston Roughnecks is more of the kind of linebacker that causes disruption in the backfield. He’s probably a little too small right now for a defensive lineman at 255 pounds. But he still makes an impact on the defense, which is something that the Bears need. Through four games, he has six sacks and eight tackles for loss. Harris is also on the best team in the XFL, perhaps meaning that he has a stronger base because he has a better coaching staff, particularly defensively, than some other linebackers do. With only 20 sacks last season, Chicago could use a player who has produced six sacks in less than half of the season.

Michael Joseph - Defensive Back

Turnovers are essential. Every defense needs turnovers. The Bears didn’t have a lot of those last season, but defensive back Michael Joseph with the DC Defenders has. He leads the XFL with three interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns. One of these pick-sixes came against arguably the XFL’s most entertaining game of the season with the Defenders versus the St. Louis Battlehawks. That was actually the first turnover for the Battlehawks of the season. Luckily, they will be facing off again this coming Saturday (6 p.m./FX). If he continues this production of turnovers, the Bears will definitely need to consider picking him up at the end of the XFL season.