Daniel Hardy

Hardy earns his keep with effort and special-teams detail. He is a useful emergency edge defender, but his snap-to-snap value is clearest when he is flying downfield.

Strengths: Special-teams production, relentless effort, blocked-kick impact and familiarity with the Bears.

Weaknesses: He has not generated enough pass-rush production to demand a major defensive role.

Hardy is a good example of a player whose value does not show up in the sack column. He led the Bears with 19 special-teams tackles, played every game and earned his first NFL start. The 16.5-sack Montana State season has not translated to pro pass rush yet, but the effort and coverage discipline are real enough that Chicago re-signed him. He is a five: an excellent core special-teamer who still needs a defensive rush role.

Strengths: His motor, tackling effort and special-teams instincts are first-rate. Hardy plays fast in coverage, has shown he can handle a large workload and brings enough college pass-rush history to remain a developmental edge option.

Weaknesses: He has zero NFL sacks and little defensive production across 40 games. Size and length limitations show up against NFL tackles, making it difficult for him to translate effort into a reliable rotational pass rush.