dawhizz

Charles Grant is just drafting Kiran again one year later and wouldn’t make any sense IMO. If you are drafting a LT it’s because he’s a more ready to step in at LT against NFL competition next year, not another likely project.

I’ve made this argument before, but if it isn’t Jeanty, I think the answer is pretty clearly either Jalon Walker or Jihaad Campbell. After losing Sanborn the starting SLB is either Noah Sewell or Ogbongbemiga, neither of which has logged significant game snaps at LB. With Walker or Campbell you get a clear upgrade at LB, plus a guy you can put at DE to rush the passer on passing downs when you bring in another DB. I think you can argue either of those guys would play the most actual snaps and have a pretty significant impact on the game for next year as compared to anyone else you could add.

I mean, technically the team currently has between 2 and 4 potential options at LT. You have Jones and Kiran, obviously, plus Wright who could arguably flip over, plus Thuney, who played there last year. That’s more options than most teams have. You can certainly quibble about the effectiveness of each of those guys and how much moving Wright or Thuney would affect the rest of the line, but they are at least viable there. If Campbell doesn’t seem to cut it at LT, you still have those options and could plug in Campbell somewhere else on the line either this year or next and presumably he would be a good player there. I say this as someone who is not really much of a fan of Campbell but did want to game out the options.

It was until they took Dexter and Pickens in rounds 2/3 in 2023. Before that it was Jonathan Bullard in the same draft as Floyd.

I had to double check this because it didn't seem like it could be true when I was thinking about it, but the Bears haven't spent a pick in the first four rounds on an edge player (either at DE or LB) since Leonard Floyd nine years ago.

I keep trying to figure out what kind of strategy we are likely to see with this upcoming draft from the Bears, but I'm stuck because I have no idea how the new coaches and Poles see some of the current players. In my mind, I think it's mostly their evaluation of these five players that will be most crucial: -Kiran Amegadjie - He was obviously drafted to be the future LT. He was rushed into service last year when they had no intention of getting him in a game last year, even before he was hurt in the preseason and missed valuable experience, and as a result had some very bad reps but also had plenty of good ones. He probably has some flexibility as a swing tackle or even guard. Do they still believe in him, and if so how much? Does he take LT off the table at #10, or do they think they need an upgrade there? -Roschon Johnson - There's a world where D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson can be a pretty credible recreation of the Gibbs/Montgomery dynamic from Detroit. Remember, Roschon was seen as an ascending player, then they Bears went out and got Swift. Roschon dealt with injuries last year but still has a skill set very suitable for the Ben Johnson scheme. So, are they ready to start giving him more carries, or do they think an upgrade is needed at RB that requires a day 1 or day 2 pick? Jaquan Brisker - How scared are they of the concussion stuff last year which seemed like it was only going to keep him out a few weeks, then suddenly he was out for the year. So where is he at? I think they like the Brisker/Byard pairing in theory, but if one of those guys go down, I don't think they like the depth pieces on this team (Owens is good in a nickel or fifth/sixth DB role but less so as a starting safety). So how early do they start thinking of picking up a safety they have more confidence in? Cole Kmet - I keep on seeing Tyler Warren buzz at #10. I don't really get it, but I can appreciate the thought. But where are the Bears on him? I don't see any reason Ben Johnson couldn't get him LaPorta type production, but maybe he wants something different from the TE. Ryan Bates - Similar to the Brisker situation, just as a back-up. How do you feel about where his medicals are? If he's a keeper, he gives you some really good flexibility for injuries along the interior O-line. If not (and maybe even if so), then you probably need to invest in at least a mid-round pick to develop. But the priority of addressing that position is probably tied to how they feel about Bates. Anyone I missed?

I I would take #2 but swap in Alfred Collins for TJ Sanders at 41. I’m just not really into Skattebo and Simmons coming off a major injury can’t be my pick at #10.

Some Bears Pro Day notes: - Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles were at the Ohio State pro day. Have to think their two RBs were receiving some attention but there’s plenty of other intriguing guys there. - Bears had a group at the Texas pro day including Ben Johnson and RB coach Eric Bienemy and met with several of the players, including Andrew Mukuba who would make some sense as a consideration around the third round. They have Top 30 meeting later this month with WR Isaiah Bond. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/insider-notes-texas-uconn-pro-day-quinn-ewers-draft-stock-matthew-golden-s-nfl-readiness-and-more - New Bears O-line coach Dan Roushar was at the LSU pro day where Will Campbell’s arms measured a little better than at the combine which some are saying may make him sticking at OT more viable. -Other top 30 visits upcoming that have been reported include RB Ashton Jeanty, OT Josh Conerly, and RB Brashard Smith.

Or are they roadkill?

Bears signed CB Nick McCloud. Basically a Jaylon Jones replacement except has a little more starting experience. That gives you six at least decent CB options with Johnson, Stevenson, Smith, Gordon, Blackwell, and McCloud. I don’t see us taking a CB in the draft unless there is a guy really high on our board late.

This is the tweet that I saw. Looks like Sweat is the one who had trained with him previously. Interesting that it shows four current Bears (Jarrett, Booker, Dexter, Sweat), one almost-Bear (Larry Ogunjobi) plus one Viking (Dallas Turner) and one draft eligible edge (Tyler Baron from Miami). Baron might be a name to keep on your radar if the Bears are still looking for edge help in the middle rounds and the brass gets good reports on him from the Bears players.

Seems like we just did the Campbell exercise with Peter Skoronski a few years ago. He was a well graded, fundamentally sound college LT that probably didn’t translate well to LT or maybe tackle at all. Campbell is taller, but has the same short arms problem. Cut to two years later and Skoronski is a very good guard but so obviously not a fit at LT that the Titans overpaid for Dan Moore. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/peter-skoronski/3200534b-4f46-7199-f435-c28e7b2fe41f https://www.nfl.com/prospects/will-campbell/32004341-4d67-0633-da01-28e834689a13

But I think we’ll have some indication leading up to. Like Darnell Wright pick was a surprise relative to where we were a month out from the draft, but that was kind of a tending pick in the days leading up to the draft.

Nolan’s a good pick. I guess if I have to go out of the box, I might say Luther Burden the WR from Missouri. He’s seen as more of a mid 1st/late 1st/early 2nd guy, but if you see DJ and Rome as the outside receivers, Burden might be the ideal slot guy in a Ben Johnson offense based on speed, hands, route running, toughness, and ability be be used in a number of different ways.

I think it’s very likely Banks will be available at 10. I know it only takes one but I feel like Campbell and Membou are both rated higher by most and the other teams taking an OT are probably not going to be quite as dispersing as the Bears regarding where an OT projects. Like, even if Campbell isn’t for sure an OT, he’s still going to be immediately startable somewhere on the line for a team like the Pats, Giants, Saints, and Jets.

I guess my feeling is that I don’t see one of these particular draft picks being better than Jones this year at LT. It would be different if there were a couple great players who definitely project well to LT, but I feel like we have a bunch of guys who don’t project so cleanly to LT and might be guards. I’m ok taking that risk with a second round pick on Ersery, Conerly, Zabel, etc. but if I’m taking another tackle at #10 I better be damn sure he’s a LT and I can’t say that about these guys except maybe Simmons who has the injury I’m wary of. Banks is the closest for me.

Not real thrilled with this completely unnecessary contract extension for a guy who was not very good last year and now has a $25 million cap hit in 2026. Let’s hope he lives up to it.

Another useful tweet with regard to the edge class, particularly for those considering Shemar Stewart or Mychal Williams.

I keep seeing Shemar Stewart, the edge from Texas A&M mocked to the Bears and while his size seems to fit the Dennis Allen mold, between his 4.5 TOTAL sacks over three years and this note on his run defense, I am fully out on him.

I don’t love taking a guy at OT who has already had a pretty major knee injury. Sprains and stuff are on thing, a torn patellar tendon is another.

I think there is an aspect of this where the mock draft pundits convinced themselves so fully that the Bears would be in desperate need of an O-line upgrade come draft time and just haven’t reconsidered based on their offseason additions. That’s not to say they don’t still have a moderate, more depth/future based need there, but I think if they actually thought about it more or reconsidered their initial thoughts, they would be less inclined to just pencil in O-line help.

Yeah. I don’t know how I feel about all that resource allocation to LB after signing Edwards and Edmunds last year and now committing a top ten pick to what is nominally an off ball LB, but it’s the easiest way for me to justify taking any of the edge players early if I think he can also offer early down value and move around and even be a nickel defender on TEs plus be a threat to rush. I don’t think you can take a small edge top ten and expect him to play every down in the Allen defense, and as I’ve said I’m underwhelmed by the production of the bigger edges being projected in the early first round. I’ll mention that I’ve heard Jihaad Campbell as a first round guy who offers a similar skill set to Walker so I’m interested to look more at him.

The more I think about it, the pick that would make the most sense to me conceptually is Jalen Walker from Georgia. With Sanborn gone, there isn’t a clear starter with Edmunds and Edwards, and Walker could be a LB in early downs and then rush from the edge on passing downs, plus could be a real asset as a pass rusher from the LB spot whenever Allen wants to deploy him.

Jordan Burch and Ashton Gillotte are also options in that range. I like what I’ve seen from Burch.

Useful note on the DEs that the Saints drafted/acquired when Dennis Allen was there. 6’4” 260 lbs. seems like the typical minimum size. On one hand, assuming Allen had some input on the choices, it seems to suggest against the drafting of the smaller/lighter edge players like Mike Green, Jalon Walker, and Donovan Ezeiruaku. On the other hand besides Young and (eventually) Hendrickson, most of these guys didn’t work out, so maybe a change in philosophy is in order.