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Bears Select Florida DL Jonathan Bullard In Round 3

By Chris Emma--

(CBS) The Bears passed on defensive linemen multiple times in the first two rounds, including with a pair of trades back in the second round, but Chicago now has its guy. The Bears stayed put in the third round and selected Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard with the No. 72 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Friday night.

Bullard, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman, is viewed as a versatile player who can move throughout the Bears' defensive line. He was given a first-round grade by many NFL scouts.

"I'm going to give you all I got when I'm out there," Bullard explained of his game.

Bullard had 17.5 tackles for loss -- the most by a Gator since former Bears defensive end Alex Brown in 1999 -- and 6.5 sacks as a senior in 2015, when he earned third-team All-American honors and was a first-team all-SEC member. He played both inside and outside on the defensive line in his Gators career.

In the second round, the Bears traded back from No. 41 to No. 49 and then No. 56, where they selected Kansas State guard Cody Whitehair. In the first round Thursday evening, Chicago selected Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd at No. 9.

The Bears have three picks in the fourth round, which starts Saturday at 11 a.m. Their next pick comes at No. 117 overall

Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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