dawhizz

Hey - at least it wasn’t Shemar Stewart, right? I was pretty convinced he was going to be the pick.

Another note on Loveland - he just turned 21 and Warren turns 23 next month.

Meh. I was talking myself into Warren because I thought that would be the pick. I haven’t really even looked that much at Loveland. I guess we’ll see. As I’ve said before, I don’t really get the 12 personnel argument because the Lions used it a lot and their slot/TE3 didn’t get the ball very much, but if we are going to trust Ben Johnson and assume he had his fingerprints on this pick, he must have a plan, so let’s see what it is. Not thrilled that he had shoulder surgery and won’t be ready for minicamp but sounds like he should be fine for training camp. The NFL people I follow on Twitter seem to mostly really like the pick, and they’ve obviously watched more of him than I have. Interested to hear if there were any trade down discussions. Let’s see what the rest of the draft looks like.

An (arguably) more reputable source. Of course, there’s also rumors that the Jags are trying to move up to #2.

This is a satire account. In other words fake news. Check his other posts - all BS. There is some chatter about the Bears trying to move up but there most certainly isn’t a “deal in place”.

Lots of chatter that the Bears are trying to trade up for either Ashton Jeanty or maybe up to #3 for Abdul Carter.

I wonder if Poles might look at trading for Kayvon Thibideaux from the Giants, assuming the Giants take Carter at #3 and depending on how the draft breaks. He only had 5 1/2 sacks last year but had 11 1/2 a year ago. Most seem to be speculating that it would take a 3rd round pick. So maybe if you go some combination of LT, RB, and S or DT with your first three picks, you take a swing on Thibideaux instead of the available edges in the third.

Tony Pauline saying Conerly a possibility at 10. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-insider-notes-red-flags-will-johnson-jihaad-campbell-possible-kirk-cousins-saints-trade

Graham makes the most sense for the reasons you say but I’m also not as convinced as everyone else that Campbell is the Pats pick at #4. They need a LT and is that really the best way to address it?

Also interesting to hear Poles comment on the possibility of Wright at LT. Not sure I 100% believe it, but I’ve always wondered if it was a consideration. Wright did play a year in college at LT.

I was that and then not too long after saw this projection of Simmons at #10. Very interesting. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6290474/2025/04/22/nfl-draft-mock-draft-coaches-top-10-2025/?campaign=13296962&source=athletic_targeted_email&userId=16310

I’m definitely trying to get myself to not consider and picks a “reach”. It seems like there are real questions about even projected top 10-20 picks where I really can’t blame you if you decide some guy who most have a late first or early second round pick on goes much higher. Like, I don’t think it happens, but I’m not sure there’s that much of a difference between Ersery and Banks to justify me being satisfied with one pick at #10 and think the other is a reach. Same for, like, Mykel Williams and Nic Scourton. Gonna be weird for sure.

Believe me, I don't really want him either, I'm just pointing out that it checks a lot of Poles boxes based on previous picks. Or maybe I'm just trying to set my expectation as low as possible . . .

The more I think about it, the more I think we are all just overlooking the obvious pick for the Bears if they stick at #10 (and assuming Jeanty is gone) and it's because it's a guy most of us don't really want, and that's Shemar Stewart, the edge from Texas A&M who only manages 4.5 sacks in three years. But if you look at everything else, it looks like a Poles pick. 1. So far he has only drafted players he brought in for a visit. Stewart checks that box. 2. Poles has showed a propensity to draft high RAS guys. Stewart scores a perfect 10.0 RAS. 3. Poles and the coaching staff has preached building through the trenches so he checks that box. 4. There is a need for another pass rusher to go with Sweat, Dayo, and Booker. 5. Size seems to fit the Dennis Allen mold. 6. In a draft that's really not that great at the top, maybe you just draft the guy with the best traits and trust your new coaching staff.

I gotta say, I tried watching Banks game son YouTube (the Georgia game specifically) and while I can get something out of a lot of positions, I just can’t delineate between Gail’s and great O-line play to determine if a guy is worth a top ten pick or not. I don’t know what he’s supposed to be doing, what his assignment is, what the QB/RB is supposed to be doing. It seems like throughout the offseason, the theme is “In Ben Johnson We Trust”. He obviously getting a lot of input on the moves being made. We seem to have hired a defensive coordinator and an O-line coach people think are very good. So at this point if we take Banks at #10, I have to believe that Ben and the rest of the coaching staff is as in on the pick as Poles is and so let’s give them the same benefit of the doubt we seem to be giving to the Jonah Jackson move and Grady Jarrett signing, and all the others. I have my preferences, but I’m not going to pretend I know how any of these guys are going to pan out or fit with what they are trying to build.

I think the plan was always for Booker to bulk up a bit and he has the frame for it, so it may depend on what he looks like by training camp and if bulking up had any effect on his speed/effectiveness/etc.

Really not too bad. I'm not a big fan or Warren at 10, but it hard to dispute that it would be kinda fun. In fact, I've been toying with a "what would be the most fun Bears draft that would actually make sense" mock draft. Like, not what I think they should do, or what I would do, but what would be most entertaining for potential use of the players, storylines going into the offseason, interesting stories to follow going into the season, etc. Here's what I came up with: 1) Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State - I think he's the most fun potential "toy" for Ben Johnson as far as where is he going to line up and how it he going to be used. There's an argument for Jeanty being more fun, but there's another later RB possibility that would arguably be more interesting/fun 2a) Josiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan - Not sure who the most entertaining edge prospect around this time, but I'll got with the guy who seems undersized but seems to always beat bigger guys (top three pass rush win rate last year among edges). Doesn't seem like a fit in the Dennis Allen scheme, but that's what makes it interesting. 2b) Marcus Mbow, OT, Purdue - College RT who might be an NFL center but McShay says is determined to play LT. Some people don't like him at all, but I've seen at least one say he may be the best OL in the draft (https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2024/11/06/marcus-mbow-best-ol-2025-nfl-draft). Sounds fun! 3) Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State - Another where I'm not the biggest fan of the player, but his potential and playing style are very fun to think about on the Bears and people would go crazy about him. 5) JJ Pegues, DT, Mississippi - What more fun than "raw wrecking ball on defense and sometime 313 lb wildcat on offense"? 7a) Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina - A 5'10" 270 lb guard who somehow dominated against high level competition and might be a center and also might be a fullback. I have no idea if he can play in the league but I'm fascinated to find out. 7b) Efton Chism III, WR, Eastern Washington - Doesn't every team need an undersized, small school white slot WR to root for during training camp? Here he is.

I’ve heard TreVeon Henderson is very good as well.

Here's where I'm at one week out: Guys I don't think will be there but I'm starting to think there's a chance and I would run up to the podium to draft: Ashton Jeanty, Mason Graham Guys I don't think will be there but if he is, I would like to believe someone would trade up for instead of reluctantly taking him: Tyler Warren, Jalon Walker, Will Campbell Guys I would be the most happy to see drafted at #10: Mykel Williams, Kelvin Banks, Derrick Harmon Guys I just don't want at #10: Shemar Stewart, Colston Loveland, Mike Green, Josh Simmons

Will be interesting to see who, if anyone, from the Bears are in attendance.

I agree with all of that. We would have to be ok with potentially missing out on any projectable LT though. I was listening to McShay’s podcast today and he was saying that there is a possibility that you pass on a LT early in the draft (and he actually used the Bears as an example) thinking you will have a chance at a guy in the early second, then Simmons goes mid first, Conerly goes late first, and Ersey goes late first or ends up the only potential LT still available at the end of day one, what do you do? Do you try to trade up to get Erery when those other guys go? Do you reach for a guy like Anthony Belton or Charles Grant as early as the second? Or do you trust your board and stick to your guns even if you miss out on a LT prospect? Because it’s a real possibility. I’d like to believe we’d stay committed to adding the best players and not reach and just see what we get from Braxton and Kiran, but I’m not so sure.

A “worst mock draft” challenger emerges! Jeanty at #3! Golden at #8! I guess I shouldn’t complain at anything that has Mason Graham to the Bears, but this seems pretty bad https://www.nfl.com/news/2025-nfl-mock-draft-with-a-twist-what-every-team-should-do-in-round-1

I don’t see day one starter from Banks, the more I look at him. He has a ton of starts in college but doesn’t seem to have actually gotten better at anything as far as I can tell. I also am starting to have an issue with the narrative “if he’s not a LT, he can be a pro bowl caliber guard”. Remember Bears greats Alex Leatherwood and Jason Spriggs? Leatherwood was taken #17 overall and Spriggs went in the second. Both were drafted as future left tackles, but fizzed out, bounced around, and now can’t start anywhere. And, you guessed it, both were touted as having guard/tackle flexibility. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/alex-leatherwood/32004c45-4173-2379-61f9-b62d58f5c85e https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jason-spriggs/32005350-5215-0252-7d93-dd095a1e8449 Leatherwood was tried at guard before being cut by the Raiders. Evan Neal, drafted three years ago by the Giants, appears headed for a similar fate although there doesn’t appear to be much optimism there (https://giantswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/giants/2025/03/08/new-york-giants-finally-prepared-move-evan-neal-guard/82041590007/). Plus, keep in mind Membou, Campbell, Banks, Simmons, Conerly, and Ersery never played guard in college. I don’t think it’s as easy a potential transition as everyone is making it out to be if they fail at LT.

I just don’t think you can take a(nother) OT in the top ten unless you are sure he can be a stud LT and none of these guys are that. There isn’t a Joe Alt in this draft class. I’m ok taking a guy round two you can try at LT but might be something else, but with every other spot on the o-line spoken for for the next few years (depending on what happens with a potential Thuney extension), I can’t take a guy top ten who I’m not reasonable sure can challenge Braxton and Kiran at LT sooner rather than later.

I think Brashard Smith is the one guy might go a little later, so I’m trying to factor that in.