When Khalil Mack first came into the league, I had a good feeling about him. I always say it doesn’t matter what school you go to or what round you’re selected in, get your feet in the room and make a name for yourself and he has. When he was selected by the-then Oakland Raiders, I often referred to him as one of the cornerstone pieces for the franchise with Derek Carr. His play was doing all of the talking. In 2016, he put together the best season of his career and was named Defensive Player of the Year. In 2018, a trade sent him to Chicago for draft picks and I said he was the best defensive player the Bears have had since the Brian Urlacher days. This year has been tough for the all-pro defender. Today, it was announced he will miss the rest of the year with a foot injury.
He’s one of the five best defensive players in this game when on the field. Many of his peers will tell you he’s one of the three toughest players to block, chip or defend. When you watch him in one on one situations, he’s a nightmare. Khalil is a force to be reckoned with and he makes his play on the field look effortless. Khalil has a plethora of ways to get to the quarterback. I’ve seen him use pure bull rushes where he has one hand in the chest of who’s to be blocking him. You’re a special defensive player when you command a running back to provide chip help or you need to be doubled at all times. That’s Khalil Mack for you. His speed for a man his size amazes me. The one thing that’s always stood out to me has been the way he tosses people like rag dolls. He literally takes his one arm and throws you three yards another way. That’s someone who that strong and powerful. What I’ve always liked about him is he’s always in attack mode. This is someone who’s looking to make the best possible play at all times. When you can threaten guys with your speed off the edge and make an offensive lineman turn his shoulders and open his chest up, it’s a done deal. Nobody has done that more or better than number 52.
This is tough news to speak on. He’s such a force when he’s on the field and when you’re doubled, that means your special. If teams are planning and they mention a defender first in their game plan, that’s a compliment and that means you’re the focal point of the opposition. You can’t mention elite defenders without bringing his name up. He’s that special. I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can return back to form next season.
