NFL Draft Profile: Purdue DE Ryan Russell

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As part of our coverage leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft we will provide profiles of 200 prospects, including what the scouts around the league are saying and video interviews with each player.

Ryan Russell (DE), Purdue

6'4" | 269 lbs.

2014 stats:

44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble

Projection:

7th round/undrafted

What scouts are saying:

"Passes the eye test at 6-4 and 275 pounds with an intriguing blend of power and burst to win at the point of attack and be effective vs. both the run and pass. He has shown clear improvement in his football awareness. Understands how to hold contain and leverage gaps vs. the run. ... Still has a lot of room to develop with his shed technique and rush sequence before NFL scouts will give their stamp of approval. Russell's rudimentary pass rush understanding shows when he doesn't win with his first step." — Dane Brugler, CBSSports.com

"Russell will frustrate NFL teams because he has many of the physical traits they covet, but he doesn't do enough with them. With just 8.5 sacks over the last three years, his production won't interest most teams, but his potential might." — Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Fit for the Bears:

The Bears have an awful lot of names at the defensive end position, including offseason additions like Ray McDonald. But after the performance the past two seasons, are these the guys who are going to be part of the Bears' defensive turnaround? Getting to the quarterback and stopping the run haven't been strengths for the Bears the past two seasons, and the draft could be a place to upgrade. However, when it comes to Russell, it looks like he'd be strictly a depth pick or even an undrafted free agent following the completion of seven rounds this weekend.

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