There is a long way to go until the NFL Draft, but as of now it appears that the Chicago Bears are leaning towards having former LSU Tiger Ego Ferguson as their starting nose tackle. Ferguson was viewed as a reach during the NFL draft last year when the team chose him 51st overall and is only 315 pounds, according to ESPN.com, so the fit here is rather strange.
As an outsider, it appears as Jeremiah Ratliff would be the better fit due to already having experience at the position when he was a member of the Dallas Cowboys, but perhaps his position versatility intrigues the Bears and they would rather have him outside than inside.
Despite the unique fit, Ferguson played very well last year and applied a lot of pressure within the pocket, despite only totaling two sacks (which ironically was tied for second among rookies). Ferguson also ranked third in tackles (12) and ranked first in pass breakups (3) among all rookie defensive tackles and ends last year.
The interesting part of this whole thing is that fellow 2014 draftee Will Sutton may also join him as a starter on the defensive line as a 3-4 defensive end. Sutton played well last year as well, ranking second in tackles (15) and third in playing time among all rookie defensive tackles and ends. The draft is still a ways away and defensive line will be among one of the top priorities for the Chicago Bears during it, so nothing is set in stone yet.
However, if the season started today, it would appear the line will consist of Jeremiah Ratliff, Ego Ferguson, and Will Sutton in some fashion with recently picked up free agent Jarvis Jenkins as an often rotated in backup. One thing is for certain, competition is always a good thing to have during training camp and the Bears look to have plenty of it.