AZ54

Nothing to add to that. I don’t like it either. I’m ok with Ersery in the 2nd and Reed in the 5th.

I absolutely think Skattebo will be on the board for us in the 3rd Rd when we pick... because he lacks speed and that is the darling of many GMs and coaches. FWIW I think his 5yd burst is elite and pairs very nicely with his very good contact balance. That's why so many 2nd and 3rd defenders looking to join the gang tackle just grab air. Then he gets run down from behind 10yds later. Jeanty is very similar in how he plays off the contact but he has long speed. Scanning NFL.com team needs I see 11 teams listed as needing a RB. Like the Bears all of them have 5 top needs listed. There is zero chance all 11 draft a RB in the first 2 rounds but let's say 5 or even 6 teams do (one could be us but that doesn't change the question of if Cam is on the board at 72). Who gets drafted in those rounds: Jeanty, Hampton, Henderson, Kalen Johnson.... seems clear those are the top 4 in many places. After that it's a mish-mash of names on the rankings lists depending on where you look. Judkins is often listed as 5 but in reality 5-10 likely have very similar grades so it becomes a preference of running style/scheme fit/need (i.e. chain mover or big gain RB). I'm pretty sure all of those players are faster than Skattebo's 4.65 forty, who is going to be a chain mover. If all you want is a chain mover there are good options for that who are faster than Skattebo such as Damien Martinez. Certainly we could see 2 or 3 RBs go right before us in Rd 3 but I still think Cam isn't one of them. As usual all of the top 10 drafting teams suck. If you are rebuilding and don't draft Jeanty then there is far better value players at more important positions to help your rebuild in Rd 1 and 2. With this much depth at a devalued position it wouldn't surprise me if only 2 RBs are off the board for either of our 2nd Rd picks. That early 2nd range might be where the number of trades increases as playoff teams trade up for a key talent in the top 40 or 50 where there are still starting caliber players on the board. Depending how far they move up a playoff team is giving up a late 3rd or 4th Rd pick.

Exactly. The Bears Oline was so bad the opportunity for a 5th Rd pick to start in week 1 was wide open. To Braxton's credit he came in and earned it. The issue is we haven't gotten the growth expected in years 2 and 3.

So many to choose from just within the 3rd Rd grades.

Which in my post I alluded to the fact this contract makes that something I expect Dennis Allen to do with TJ.

Correct and the pundits will still criticize the “reach”.

For sure we disagree. I see him chasing from behind when routes go downfield. Love him within 10 yards of the LOS. If our pass rush is good enough we don’t have to worry about double moves on routes from RBs then he’s good. Staying in phase with RBs downfield was something Roquan was good at.

Saw one video last night where one draftnik said he had nearly the same grades on players from 8 to 40. At that point BPA just becomes team need.

I think ideally we get someone who can do it all including pass pro so the whole playbook is open when they are on the field. Overlooked by most is the fact Johnson liked David Montgomery who had no elite traits. While he was a cast off from the Bears Johnson managed to put up 30 plus points per game with him. Who in this draft in draft has similar traits? Jeanty for sure with more speed but there are others.

I’m very confident we’re not building around Swift which is exactly why we don’t need two of that type of RB.

Wow...never thought he'd get that much money.... 2yr $20mil. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2025/4/16/24410177/chicago-bears-roster-tj-edwards-extension-2026-nfl-free-agency Estimating a $10mil cap hit/yr puts us at $44mil in cap space for 2026 with 30 players on the roster according to OTC. Cutting Edmunds gets us back to $59mil in cap space. I expect Thuney gets a big chunk but we can still have some fun next offseason. The question is does LT also get a big chunk?

If we draft Banks I'm betting we trade Braxton. I don't think we'd get anything in this years draft because of his injury. It likely wouldn't even be a trade until he's healthy in camp and showing it in preseason. Kiran has too much potential and should be good enough this year to be our swing OT. Braxton would not look good at all at RT. Maybe the team that drafts Will Campbell finds out in camp they need a LT?

Have you seen the contract details? I'm surprised by this. Edwards is too slow to cover on the boundary so this makes me wonder if the plan is to move him inside...that's if Allen doesn't care about a MLB who can cover the deep middle. I can't say I know anything about his scheme other than what's said here I just find this a curious move for an aging but still decent LB. He's not going to get faster after he turns 30. The plan here would be to cut Edmunds and draft his replacement, or sign a value FA. Veterans want to play for us now.

That’s an easy decision. Banks

Why I'd be comfortable taking Mykel Williams at 10: We need a solid 3rd DE who can support the rotation and be good on run defense. Booker ain't that, neither is anybody else on our roster. Williams is young and lean but he's already strong at the point of attack. Georgia often used him inside and while he doesn't really belong there he still held his ground. He has the athleticism to offer a lot of upside on pass rush. His pass rushing skills aren't there yet and at times he looks like a 2yr old flailing his hands about. He played through injury too in a year where he was headed to the draft which demonstrates a love for the game. His burst and agility make him a great asset on stunts. Dennis Allen will know how to use him along with Sweat and Dayo on 3rd and long. This is from before the college season:

I don't like him either, at least not as a 1st Rd RB. IHe has better contact balance and power than Kaleb Johnson but Johnson has a better feel for the blocking IMO. Jeanty is top RB for sure but after that I can be happy with any of 4 or 5 guys but Treveyon Henderson is not one of them. He's too similar to Swift.

I’ve only got two for 10 Walter Nolen Mykel Williams.

I haven’t seen the full list of 29 players but what I saw two days ago didn’t have a single safety on the list. I still think we’re drafting one on day 2.

Isn’t Williams still really young?

Where did you find that time? He didn’t run at the combine nor at the pro day as far as I can tell? So it comes down to private workouts. He’s long and rangy so I don’t expect him to be elite in the 10yd split Against Texas inSEC title game he had 6 pressures 4 hurries and 2 sacks. Against two Potential NFL OTs

Johnson also watched his defense lose a game in the playoffs. Then watched the Eagles defense shutdown Mahomes with a great pass rush. It’s hard to say what he’s thinking is best.

I’ve been warming up to taking Mykel Williams at 10. Premium position. Premium talent. Less than premium production.

Jeanty is not the best pass catcher among RBs. I think his drop % is somewhere around 10%. So yes, even with Jeanty there will be someone else sharing the load.

Is it just my perception or does Poles prefer to go with a higher guarantee and a lower AAV on his recent deals? I can't really say that with Gordon since he's now the highest paid NB in the league but $13.3/yr seems reasonable.

Yes