The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with their first pick on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, trading for an additional fifth-rounder with the Minnesota Vikings to select Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick.
The fact that general manager Ryan Pace traded a fourth-rounder to acquire an earlier fifth-round selection and grab Gipson tells you everything you need to know about what he means to the Bears.
The Bears no doubt see the upside with Gipson, who adds depth to Chicago’s pass rush. While Gipson has just two years of starting experience, he became a force in the All-American Athletic Conference, dominating the competition.
In his year as a starter in 2018, Gipson tallied 46 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He followed that up in 2019 with 15 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, which earned him first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. During his collegiate career, he had eight forced fumbles at Tulsa.
While Gipson has a long way to go as a developmental prospect, the upside is huge. He has all of the physical tools to become a starter for the Bears down the line.
Gipson lined up both inside and outside as a pass rusher at Tulsa, but he figures to occupy the outside linebacker position with the Bears.
The Bears are obviously set with their starting pass rushers with Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. But Gipson figures to get some reps, alongside free-agent acquisition Barkevious Mingo. Seeing as Pace valued Gipson in the fifth round, the hope is he could develop into a starter in the future.
While the Bears did trade a 2021 fourth-round pick to grab Gipson, if he develops into another late-round gem for Pace, it will have been well worth it.
Grade: B+
What do you think, Bears fans? How would you grade Chicago’s selection of Gipson?
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GALLERY — 2020 Draft Class