Chicago Bears to focus on defensive help at NFL Scouting Combine

The Bears have much room for improvement on all three levels of a defense that was 30th in interception percentage, 29th in third-down efficiency and 26th in average gain per rush allowed.

Odds are they'll address that side of the football when they make the 11th overall draft selection in two months. So they're expected to be more focused on a select group of defenders who will be available at that spot when the 35th annual Scouting Combine begins Wednesday in Indianapolis.

UCLA's Myles Jack could be the inside linebacker the Bears crave. He goes sideline to sideline as a run defender and has the speed and athleticism to cover like a safety, but he probably will be gone by the 11th pick.

If an injury that required surgery on his right knee in October causes him to fall, he would be the ideal addition at a position that produced few big plays last season from starters Christian Jones and Shea McClellin, an unrestricted free agent.

Jack will not be a full participant at the NFL Combine, but he was cleared to begin running last week and should be 100 percent long before the start of training camp.

Notre Dame outside linebacker Jaylon Smith would have been a top five pick, maybe even the No. 1 overall, if not for his New Year's Day knee injury, which was more severe than Jack's. Smith suffered ACL and LCL tears vs. Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, but the 20-year-old is such a rare talent he could still go in the top 10-15. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Smith is versatile, explosive, physical and tremendously athletic.

He is still expected to be an exceptional NFL player, but he may not play at all as a rookie. That could give the Bears pause, considering last year's first-round pick, wide receiver Kevin White, never got on the practice field because of stress fractures in his left shin. And the Bears' defense needs to get better now.

Alabama's Reggie Ragland is another inside linebacker who would be an instant upgrade for the Bears. The 6-foot-1, 259-pound Ragland was an instinctive and stout run-stuffer inside in Alabama's 3-4. While he doesn't possess great stopwatch speed, he plays fast because he rarely takes a false step.

Ragland's teammates, defensive tackles A'Shawn Robinson or Jarran Reed, could be the Bears' choice if they decide to rehab their defense from the inside out. Both might be a bit of a reach at No. 11 because they won't do much to help the pass rush. But the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Robinson and the 6-3, 311-pound Reed can be anchors vs. the run on Day One.

Louisville's Sheldon Rankins is rated higher than the 'Bama pair in many mock drafts after an impressive week of practice at the Senior Bowl. He's not as big (6-foot-2, 303 pounds), but he has better quickness and is a better athlete with more upside as a pass rusher. He projects best as a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3.

Oregon's DeForest Buckner and Ohio State's Joey Bosa are the draft's top two defensive ends because of their size and scheme versatility, and they're expected to go in the top 10.

Clemson also has a pair of first-round defensive ends in Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson. Both bided their time as reserves in a program loaded with D-line talent before breaking out last season.

At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Dodd has the size to interest 3-4 and 4-3 teams. He didn't crack the starting lineup until his final season but was spectacular in 2015, with 23 ½ tackles for loss, including 12 sacks. He had 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss in the national championship loss vs. Alabama.

Lawson, at 6-3 and 270, could be an OLB-DE 'tweener, but that doesn't mean he can't be successful at either spot. He had 25 ½ tackles for loss, including 12 ½ sacks in 2015 and is considered more disruptive as an edge setter vs. the run than a premier pass rusher.

Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence might be the best pure pass rusher in the draft, but he comes with major character concerns. Spence was suspended twice at Ohio State following positive tests for Ecstasy and then dismissed by the Buckeyes and banned from the Big Ten.

In his one season at the FCS level, he was an All-American with 2 2 ½ tackles for loss and 11 ½ sacks. At 6-2 and 254, Spence is an NFL outside linebacker or designated pass rusher as a nickel defensive end, but any team that takes him in the first round is gambling.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter@BobLeGere.

Eyes on the Combine

Here's a glance at some of the local players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.

• Northwestern FB Dan Vitale (Wheaton-Warrenville South)

• Michigan State C Jack Allen (Hinsdale Central)

• Illinois RB Josh Ferguson (Naperville native and Joliet Catholic grad)

• Illinois State RB Marshawn Coprich

• Northwestern DE Dean Lowry (Rockford Boylan)

• Illinois DT Jihad Ward

• Illinois WR Geronimo Allison

• Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith

• Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley

• Notre Dame CB Keivare Russell

• Notre Dame C Nick Martin

• Notre Dame DT Sheldon Day

• Notre Dame WR Will Fuller

<b>Others to watch:</b>• Kansas State FB Glen Gronkowski is the younger brother of Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski.

• Wisconsin FB Derek Watt is the younger brother of Texans DE J.J. Watt.

• Virginia Tech CB Kendall Fuller is the younger brother of Bears CB Kyle Fuller