Ruben Hyppolite II

Hyppolite is a young, effort-first linebacker whose college captaincy shows up in the way he attacks development. He needs to turn that steady work into a more secure NFL role.

Strengths: Tackle history, leadership background, effort and developmental mindset.

Weaknesses: Still establishing himself against NFL speed and presently sits behind more proven options.

Hyppolite is still in the learning part of the curve. The Maryland tape and 236 college tackles say he can find the ball, while his seven-game rookie year says Chicago trusted him first on teams and in limited work. That is normal for a fourth-round linebacker. I have him at a five because the physical and production baseline is worth developing, but he has not yet shown enough in the NFL to project him as more than a depth and special-teams player.

Strengths: He has proven college tackling volume, good effort and experience playing a physical inside role. Hyppolite should continue to help on special teams while he gains comfort with Chicago's coverage checks.

Weaknesses: Four defensive tackles as a rookie leave the evaluation largely unfinished. He must improve pro-level block deconstruction and coverage processing before he can be trusted with a regular starting workload.