Bears bringing in Rutgers DE for a closer look

The Bears will host defensive end Jamaal Westerman at Halas Hall today on a pre-draft visit.

The Rutgers product is one of the 30 pre-draft visits the team can have. He’s an interesting late-round prospect who could also be a priority free-agent type.

Westerman was knocked out of the bowl season with a torn biceps tendon but was healthy enough to go through his pro day last week. He put up 20 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds and was clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.78 seconds. He’s a smaller guy at 6-2, 257 pounds, but he’s explosive off the ball and he’s a high motor guy who finished third in school history in sacks.

The Bears will be able to get a medical evaluation of Westerman and go from there. Keep an eye on him. The team has been looking closely at linebackers for possible selection in the later rounds of the draft.

Don’t be surprised if the team goes after a pass rusher early in the draft (top three rounds) and then again later on. Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson are both going into the finals years of their contracts.