Eddie Goldman

Entering his fifth NFL season, Goldman has been steady over the past two years, averaging 42 tackles and over two sacks. He's also played in at least 15 games in three of his four seasons, so he's proven to be durable, but as an interior lineman, the numbers he's produced over the last couple years may be pretty close to his ceiling.

Entering his fourth year with the Bears, Goldman's coming off a season in which he posted a career-low 1.5 sacks despite playing 608 snaps, which was easily the most of his career. He'll anchor the middle of the Bears defensive line, and the former second-round pick will likely have more impact to his teammates as he occupies blockers while freeing up his teammates to make plays. He'll be a low-ceiling IDP, as he's averaged less than three tackles per game during his career.

After being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft, Goldman has recorded seven sacks in 21 games, and showed the ability to be a playmaker as an interior lineman. He’ll be a player who could quickly emerge as an IDP option, as he’s yet to reach his potential as he enters his third NFL season.

Coming off a season in which he was fourth among NFL rookies with 4.5 sacks, the 39th overall pick in the 2015 draft will be expected to be a key component in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense. In his successful rookie season, Goldman started 12 games, collecting 39 tackles, six tackles for loss along with 19 quarterback pressures. With the Bears adding talent to the defense in the off-season, he’s in prime position to build upon his impressive rookie numbers, and someone to keep an eye on as an emerging IDP target.

After hiring defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to overhaul one of the league’s worst units over the past two seasons, the Bears’ front office made finding a nose tackle to anchor their new 3-4 defensive scheme a priority in this past spring’s draft. They believe they found their man in the second round in Goldman, a 6-foot-4, 336-pound behemoth who often flashed the ability to control the line of scrimmage during his three seasons at Florida State. The rookie could be a candidate to start right away for the Bears, and will have the good fortune of working in training camp with Jeremiah Ratliff, one of the players he’s modeled his game after. Even if he’s able to come away with a starting role, Goldman’s status as a nose tackle won’t lend itself to much tackle or sack production. Instead, he’ll be tasked with congesting run lanes and creating tackle opportunities for the Bears’ other edge defenders.