INDIANAPOLIS — North Texas’ standout LaDarius Hamilton does not shy away from competition. The 2020 EDGE prospect embraces it.
It does not matter how many players the opposition puts in his way, Hamilton is determined when coming off the edge.
“Let me go get it,” he said.
As a dominant defensive lineman for the Mean Green, Hamilton found success despite seeing multiple double and even triple-teams. He ended his collegiate career tied for sixth in program history in sacks (17) and tackles for loss (28.5).
The Chicago Bears are a team that is heavily researching pass rushers in this draft class. Here at The Chicago Audible, we received confirmation from six EDGE prospects that have met with the Bears either formally or informally this week in Indianapolis.
One of those informal meetings included Hamilton, who said on Thursday that he would embrace an opportunity to be a part of the same locker room and rotation as Khalil Mack – who he believes is one of the best defenders in the NFL.
Hamilton told reporters that he would absorb any and all information from Mack like a sponge.
“I would love to be able to sit down with [Mack] and pick his brain to see what he has to tell to a young player like myself,” Hamilton said with a smile on his face.
Of course, Hamilton would not waste an opportunity to learn from Mack on the field too and said he’d be watching the All-Pro “all of practice” to pick up on the little things.
For those who do not know Hamilton, he classifies himself as a hard worker and a leader in the locker room.
Off the field, he is very big on family. Each prospect at the combine gets to keep the nameplate that is displayed during their interview. When asked whether or not he will hold onto his as a memento, Hamilton mentioned that he would be giving it to his mother.
When he’s not playing football, you will find Hamilton either at the arcade or out bowling. It turns out Hamilton is better at taking down opposing quarterbacks than knocking down pins.
“I’m lucky if I crack 90,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton has some work set out for him to prove that he can be an asset to a franchise, and he will have a chance to showcase his abilities this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium.
With four picks in the last two rounds combined, the Bears may very well use one of them on Hamilton. And if Chicago does, the standout star from North Texas will have a chance to implant himself in an outside linebacker rotation that is expected to be different than last season.
And soaking up as much information that he can from Mack would be a great first step toward doing so.
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