Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson stayed busy during the 2025 NFL Draft with four selections in the first two rounds. Little did they know that a fourth-round selection might end up being their best pickup.
ESPN gathered all the NFL beat reporters for one article on each team's most significant surprise player during the offseason. Bears reporter Courtney Cronin named rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II for Chicago as he is fighting to be the third linebacker on the team.
"Ben Johnson singled out Hyppolite as the player that Bears coaches saw the most improvement from this spring. With veteran T.J. Edwards sidelined with a soft tissue injury, Hyppolite got a lot of run with the starting defense at a position he doesn't have much experience at (weakside linebacker) after playing middle linebacker throughout his career at Maryland.
While the search for Chicago's No. 3 linebacker isn't the sexiest of position battles, Hyppolite -- a fourth-rounder with a 4.39 second 40 time -- made early impressions on the coaching staff. 'He's done a great job adjusting to that speed as we've gone through, and that's going to have to show up once we do get the pads on,' Johnson said. 'But I think he's been improving every single day, and really, we're hoping that course continues.'"
Hyppolite should be in the starting lineup and show off his skills in 2025
There wasn't much hype around Hyppolite going into the NFL Draft, as he had a solid college career at Maryland, but nothing stood out. The one thing going for him? His 4.42 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day showed off his speed and athleticism.
The Bears are looking to have him as one of the outside linebackers, and currently, he is projected to be a starter alongside Edwards and Termaine Edmunds. An advantage for Hyppolite is a lack of experience all around the Bears' linebackers, with Noah Sewell being the most experienced of the backups.
Hyppolite needs some development and the Bears knew that when they drafted him, but he is a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defensive scheme. He appears to be ahead of schedule already and could be in the starting lineup when the season begins.
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The Bears need Hyppolite to be a difference maker after finishing near the bottom in most defensive categories in 2024. That rare speed at linebacker could end up being his biggest asset and something Chicago needs going into Johnson's first year at head coach.