When the Bears selected Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft, the pick was met with universal praise as one of the bigger steals of the weekend’s early rounds.

As we enter the last week of Bullard’s first year as a pro, his rookie season hasn’t gone according to plan. He’s been active in 13 of 15 games and has played less than 20 snaps in seven of them, according to Pro Football Focus.

Simply put, he hasn’t made nearly the impact that was expected of him. To date, he’s registered 17 tackles and one sack, looking more like a rotational defensive lineman than a starting-quality pro.

According to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the offseason is going to be critically important for Bullard and his career trajectory.

“He’s got a lot of room for growth and I think he’s responded well to that. He’s been active the last few weeks and gotten more playing time. I think Jon’s got a lot of room to grow and I think he can do it. He’s got to get stronger, he’s got to learn to play in the NFL trenches a little more and better. I think his future can still be bright, but his offseason is going to be critical for him.”

One of the biggest obstacles Bullard might face heading into 2017 could potentially be added the same way he was last April. With the Bears all but assured a top-five pick in the NFL draft, there’s a chance they could look long and hard at Alabama’s Jonathan Allen in the first round. If they go that route, Bullard will have little to no chance at unseating Hicks or Allen for playing time and will likely slide into a niche as a rotational defensive lineman.

Obviously, that’s all speculation. The only thing Bullard can control is preparing his body for his second season in the NFL. If he takes coach Fangio’s advice and works on becoming a stronger player in the trenches, the upside is there for him to be a key factor in Chicago’s young and improving defense.