Canadian DL Brent Urban earns higher Pro Football Focus grade than Bears’ Khalil Mack

Photo courtesy: Chicago Bears

Canadian defensive lineman Brent Urban was top of the class among the Chicago Bears’ defensive players in Week 4.

The Mississauga native produced four tackles — two solo and two assisted — along with his first sack of the 2020 NFL season, taking down Colts quarterback Philip Rivers in a 19-11 loss to Indianapolis.

Urban was on the Soldier Field turf for 27 defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus, which tracks and compiles advanced metrics used by a number of franchises in the league, assigned him a grade of 83.5. All-Pro defender Khalil Mack played 63 snaps and received an 81.6 grade. Both numbers are on the high end of the scale, but Urban edged out his teammate.

The 29-year-old signed with Chicago in October 2019, just two days following his release from the Tennessee Titans. Urban’s career started with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 after he was selected in the fourth round, 134th overall during the NFL draft. He has appeared in 58 NFL games, making 19 starts, recording 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss, eight pass knockdowns, six quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks.

The six-foot-seven, 300-pounder was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second round of 2013 CFL draft as a redshirt junior out of the University of Virginia. It was a high-risk, high-reward selection that won’t pay dividends for the Ticats due to Urban’s success south of the border — he’s in his seventh NFL season.

Urban’s career NFL earnings are over $6 million USD. If Urban keeps beating out Mack come grading time he’ll boost the bank account even more.