The Chicago Bears have received fairly strong marks for their 2025 NFL Draft class, even if some of the picks were unexpected.
New Bears linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II stands out as one of those prospects.
Bears GM Ryan Poles Questioned Over Ruben Hyppolite Pick
Bears Liked Ruben Hyppolite’s Speed
Hyppolite spent five years at Maryland. With the Bears selecting him in the fourth round with the No. 132 overall pick, some antennas were raised.
“This fourth-round selection was shocking because many analysts predicted Hyppolite could go undrafted,” ESPN’s Eric Moody wrote on May 6. “I thought this was a major reach in the middle rounds by general manager Ryan Poles.”
Moody chose Hyppolite’s selection as his “biggest head-scratching pick of the draft.”
“Someone we were excited about. Guy that is extremely smart, tough,” Poles told reporters on April 25. “One thing talking with DA [defensive coordinator Dennis Allen], is we want to continue to add our team speed, and he can fly. He’s a low 4.4 [40-yard dash] player that’s very active. But again, we like the combination of the speed and the intelligence.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Hyppolite as his LB35 and outside the top 100 prospects.
Ruben Hyppolite Lands on ‘Overvalued’ Rankings
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm offered a more positive review of the pick, noting that Hyppolite consistently shows up on film.
“Hyppolite is a rangy, shorter-framed linebacker who can bring a little punch to the party,” Edholm wrote after the selection. “The former elite high-school recruit is experienced and always seems to show up at the ball, with solid instincts.”
Sharp Football Analysis’ Warren Sharp ranked Hyppolite second on his list of most overvalued selections.
However, even pre-draft analysis on Hyppolite describes a player that might interest the Bears.
“Hyppolite led Maryland with 66 tackles last season. He ran well at his pro day, and that speed shows up on tape,” ESPN’s Steve Muench wrote before the draft. “He can shoot gaps and meet running backs in the backfield when he plays downhill between the tackles. Hyppolite chases with good effort and makes plays in pursuit. He also closes well, breaking on passes in coverage.”
Despite a strong final season, Hyppolite’s production was a source of concern.
“Hyppolite’s career production is fairly pedestrian relative to the number of starts he’s made, but he has the kind of speed that is rarely dismissed out of hand by NFL evaluators. The more one watches, the more one realizes he plays with natural instincts to sniff out and pursue the play, for NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote pre-draft.
“A move to Will linebacker could free him from some of the physical rigors inside and allow him to highlight his pursuit speed, but he needs to prove he can make more plays in coverage.