4 prospects who helped their Chicago Bears draft stock after impressive Day 1 of NFL Combine workouts

If the Bears decide to keep the No. 1 overall pick, there's a good chance they'll use it on Will Anderson Jr., who checked every box during his workout Thursday. But we already know Anderson is a stud. It's time to look at some other draft prospects who impressed at the Combine and inserted themselves into the Chicago Bears NFL Draft conversation.

Here are four prospects who helped their draft stock on Day 1 of the NFL Combine.

Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern

Adebawore jumpstarted his climb up the 2023 NFL Draft rankings at the Senior Bowl, where he flashed above-average twitch and strength as an interior prospect. He checked in at 6-2 and 282 pounds with nearly 34-inch arms. His 4.49 40-yard dash was downright ridiculous, as was a 37.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-5-inch broad jump. Adebawore had the highest athletic score of any defensive lineman at the 2023 Combine.

His on-field drills were equally impressive.

Adebawore fits what coach Matt Eberflus wants in a three-technique defensive lineman. Even at 282 pounds, he'll be an asset against the run because of his leverage advantage and explosive skill set off the snap. He'll be in the conversation for the Bears in the second round, if he lasts that long.

Calijah Kancey, DL, Pittsburgh

One defensive lineman who won't last until the second round is Calijah Kancey. The Pittsburgh star ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, which was faster than another former Pittsburgh great, Aaron Donald (Donald ran a 4.68 in 2014).

Kancey is getting first-round buzz because of his cat-like quickness as an interior penetrator, but his 30 5/8' arms and undersized profile (6-1, 281 pounds) may scare some teams away. If he does falls to the second round, the Bears will waste little time calling his name.

Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

Speaking of incredible workouts, Nolan Smith clocked a remarkable 4.39 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical, and 10-foot-8 broad jump. Smith doesn't have prototype size (6-2, 238 pounds), but you can't coach his kind of speed and explosive traits.

NFL teams will question why Smith wasn't more productive with those traits. He registered just 7.5 sacks over the last two years, but as we've seen with Georgia defenders in the past, the lack of box score production is more a product of a loaded Bulldogs defense than a skills deficiency.

Smith will move way up teams' draft boards, including the Chicago Bears, who need pass rushers in the worst way.

Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

Bryan Bresee was once considered the top high school recruit in the country, but a sub-par collegiate career at Clemson cooled his rare stock. He suffered a family tragedy in 2022 with the loss of his 15-year-old sister and battled illness and injuries throughout the season, leading to an overall down year. But he looked more like the once highly-touted recruit with his impressive workout at the NFL Combine.

Bresee measured over 6'5' and 292 pounds and carried that size well during on-field drills. His testing numbers checked the required boxes, and his flexibility shined through during his workout.

I still don't think Bresee is a first-rounder at this point, but if he slides into the middle portion of Round 2, he'd be a huge upgrade for the Chicago Bears defensive line.

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