dawhizz

Bears do a great job with these videos. Hard not to be fired up after watching this. Of course, I said that last year too . . .

Feels like we have gotten a lot less intel on Bears 30 visits this year as opposed to past years. I didn’t go back to see what we knew this time last year, but as far as I can tell, the only visit that have been reported are RB Ashton Jeanty, OT Josh Conerly, RB Brashard Smith, LB Nick Martin, WR Isaiah Bond, OG Dylan Fairchild, and WR Jaylin Lane. There are conflicting reports on if TE Tyler Warren had a visit with Bears - I saw someone (maybe Tony Pauline) say that he had one scheduled then Greg Gabriel said that wasn’t true and I saw someone over the weekend say he only had one visit scheduled so 🤷‍♂️. Not only do we not have much intel but there really isn’t much to be gleaned from the positions for the visits - we’ve got two RBs and two WRs, but it one projected early round pick and one late. Martin and Conerly make sense as guys who were injured last year and the team might want to check out medically. Poles seems to be keeping things very close to the vest.

Keep in mind there was something fishy about the arm length measurements at the combine - most OTs had their arms measure longer at their bowls and Pro Days than they did at the combine.

Guys I like more than where they seem to be generally projected: Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers - Seems to have everything you want when I watch the highlights - agility, speed, balance, etc. Can pass protect and can catch. Zero fumbles on 669 carries. Savion Williams, WR, TCU - I like a few of the projected mid-round WRs (Tory Horton, Kyle Williams, Nick Nash) but I'm really intrigued by Williams' measurables and testing and how he can be used in a number of different ways. Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa - When in doubt, take an Iowa TE. I also like Jalin Conyers from Texas Tech. Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina - I'm not sure if he can play in the league, but I'm going to root for a guard who held his own and often dominated at a power 5 conference at 5'10" 270. Could Ben Johnson find a way to utilize him on the OL and/or at fullback? I have this perverse hope that the Bears spend their two seventh round picks on 5'10" 270 OL Willie Lampkin and 6'5" 464 Florida DT Desmond Watson. JJ Pegues, DT, Mississippi - Big and penetrating DT who was also used in the wildcat(!) in short yardage and goal line situations. Tell me Ben Johnson doesn't want this guy.

Yeah, probably. I think Johnson wants an actual veteran in the QB room.

Based on all the stuff I’ve seen, I find it hard to imagine a scenario where Banks is taken before 10. I think Melbourne and probably Campbell are ahead of him on most boards and no way 3 OTs go in the top 9 picks.

My thought is that this draft is so deep at WR you can get a good WR3 in the middle rounds. Most of the production from the lions last year was from their #1 and #2 WRs, who each had 1000 yard seasons, but after that you have Tim Patrick with 33/394. Zaccheaus had a better year than that last year. I would like to get a WR who can play in the slot but has some size - Rome is really the only WR on the roster above 6’0” who figures to actually play, so another short guy would seem to replicate the Zaccheaus / Tyler Scott / Duvernay skill set/type. I really like Savion Williams from TCU because he has shown some usage out of the backfield and in different ways that might appeal to Johnson (he’s basically Cordaralle Patterson 2.0), but Tre Harris, Pat Bryant, Nick Nash, and Tory Horton all likely mid round pick so seem like good fits in that mold as well.

Also, for as much as the Lions were in 2 TE sets last year, TEs not named Laporta had a total of 14 catches for 122 yards. Now, maybe that changes when your TE2 is Tyler Warren instead of Brock Wright, and maybe Warren gets more true WR use, but it is indicative of how much Johnson actually used a second TE as a reviving option.

Add Tyler Warren to the Bears 30 visit list.

We should also remember that the number of first round grades for a team is not 32. If heard draft people who have between 14 and 18 first round draft grades on players this year. If the Bears have a similar number and they cut out a few positions they won’t be drafting in the first round anyway, that may limit both their potential pool at 10 and how far down they would be willing to trade down. My personal dream is to trade back just a few spots, still stay in the range of one of those first round players, and get an extra 3rd and 4th from someone. We already have two 2nds so that’s not something we might not necessarily need to get back, plus allowing the team we are trading with to keep their 2nd might make them more inclined to trade. Then do something along these lines: 1 - James Pearce, DE, Tennessee 2a - Aireonte Ersery, OT, Minnesota 2b - Treyveon Henderson, RB, Ohio State 3a - Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas 3b - Savion Williams, WR, TCU 4 - JJ Pegues, DT, Mississippi 5 - Joshua Gray, OL, Oregon State 7a - CJ Dippre, TE, Alabama 7b - Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State

I have to think the Darnell Wright pick is instructive - Poles could have taken Skoronski at 6’4” 313 with 32” arms but great performer at LT in college, but he opted for Darnell Wright at 6’5” 333 with close to 34” arms. If that holds Campbell seems too much like Skoronski and I think Poles would prefer Banks. Or maybe they needed a player more like Wright than and now want one more like Campbell. Who’s to say?

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.