The Chicago Bears kept Tuesday’s practice to themselves with a closed walkthrough ahead of their road date against the Kansas City Chiefs to close out the preseason. Afterward, rookie fourth-round pick and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II was among those to speak with the media.
Hyppolite, the Bears’ fourth-round pick (No. 132 overall), was an unexpected selection by Bears general manager Ryan Poles, but he impressed head coach Ben Johnson early.
Since then, Hyppolite has only grown more comfortable in the Bears’ system.
Bears LB Ruben Hyppolite Touts Growth in ‘Understanding’
Ruben Hyppolite Justifying Bears GM’s Faith
Johnson said that Hyppolite found himself swimming a bit in all that the Bears were throwing at him early on. This staff does not remove items from players’ players, either, so Hyppolite had to keep up, and he has.
Asked about his greatest area of growth, Hyppolite cited “getting familiar with the playbook.”
“Just knowing and overstanding, understanding, and innerstanding what I got to do at my position, and just using my abilities, my God-given talent to go out there and execute. I think that’s been my biggest growth. Just understanding what we’re trying to do as a defense within the scheme. And then, how we’re looking to attack offenses that we play,” Hyppolite told Clocker Sports on Tuesday.
“These joint practices and these preseason games been helping me out a lot.”
Hyppolite recorded an interception in the Bears’ joint practice against the Buffalo Bills ahead of their preseason Week 2 showdown. Notably, his selection raised a few eyebrows in league circles, with some questioning why his production did not match his skill set time in college.
“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.”
Hyppolite spent five seasons at Maryland and never tallied over 66 total tackles. He defended his production, saying he did his job and praising the talent of his teammates with the Scarlet Knights. Now, Hyppolite is doing what he can to impress the Bears’ coaches.
Bears LB Coach Praises Rookie
Pro Football Focus credits Hyppolite with 6 total tackles, 3 stops – plays that count as “losses” for the offense – and 0 misses so far this preseason.
Initially moved around, Hyppolite has settled in at middle linebacker and found his stride.
“We watched him. The scouts – he wasn’t at the combine – the scouts brought him to us. And, of course, he can run, he’s quick, and things like that, and he’s really done a great job from a young rookie like that,” Bears linebackers coach Richard Smith told Clocker Sports last Wednesday.
“We’ve honed him in to one position, because you don’t take a young guy right out of college, trying to learn a system, and try to put them in two different positions. So, he’s been fortunate. He’s only been in one position, and he’s playing pretty well. There’s still a lot of growth there that needs to be done, like any young rookie. But last week, he played well, and he’s got to continue to get better.”
Hyppolite began training camp in an apparent competition with third-year pro Noah Sewell for the strongside LB job, a role that can qualify as a starter, but is minimized due to the amount of nickel that teams play.
Still, it is a hole with 2024 starter Jack Sanborn now with the Dallas Cowboys.
Ruben Hyppolite’s Speed Shows Up
Hyppolite, whose Raw Athletic Score is the kind of information that gets scouts’ attention, has also impressed his teammates, with Sewell among those who have had positive things to say about the youngster.
“Rub … got speed, and his physicality is up there,” Sewell told Clocker Sports in an interview published in July. “He’s a smart guy. He picks up ball real quick, and he flies to the ball real fast.”
Hyppolite said that he is not concerned with his role just yet.
The Bears boast a talented group led by T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, with Sewell having bided his time through injuries to earn a chance to join them in the starting lineup. It could take an injury for Hyppolite to see a significant role, but he will be ready to contribute.