raw

Don't want to come off like I don't like this pick. Not really fair to complain that Poles didn't do enough to help Fields last year and then be upset by helping Fields now. I like Wright a lot. There is a legit argument for him as the top OT in this class. I dont really do overall rankings, but ballparking, he would have been less than a 10 pick reach. He was a close OT3 for me and I wouldn't have had Paris Johnson in my top 10 players either.

My top guys available for today for the Bears (not really in any order): John Michael Schmitz, C Minnesota BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT Northwestern Jayden Reed, WR Michigan St Jonathan Mingo, WR Ole Miss Steve Avila, OG/OC TCU Keeanu Benton, DT Wisconsin Joey Porter Jr, CB Penn State Tyrique Stevenson, CB Miami Julius Brents, CB Kansas State Cam Smith, CB South Carolina I'd love one of those top 3 guys at 53 (Ojulari seems unlikeliest). Then trade down from 61 to around the 75-82 range. And use pick 64. 53- Adebawore, 64- one of the CBs, Mid 3rd- Juice Scruggs, C Penn State 53- Schmitz, 64- one of the CBs, Mid 3rd- Zacch Pickens, DT South Carolina or next tier edge guy (Diaby, McGuire, Harrison?)

So, I'm going to assume that ownership wasn't OK with Carter. Which if you're Poles, not much you can do about that. The last couple days with the "the buzz is Carter to the Bears at 9", I felt that was signaling that the Bears were inviting teams AKA Philly to trade up ahead of them. It just felt like there was some disagreement within the organization on Carter and they really were kind of hoping they didn't have to make that decision. NGL, I was hoping Carter would be the pick. The potential to trade down from the #1 pick AND potentially still get arguably the best player in the draft was too good to be true to me. I get the off-field and motor concerns, but DTs who bust don't get the GM fired. I think that aspect of the pick was overstated. Carter was a risk, but definitely a worthy one, IMO. That being said, the Wright pick is fine. This pick along with insisting Moore be in the Carolina trade shows a clear investment in Justin Fields at the QB position. It's a safe pick. It's as "win now" as a draft pick can be. He doesn't have the most upside of the top tackles in the draft, but he's probably most ready to play the position he most recently played of all of the tackles. Paris and Jones were 1-year starters. Skoronski is maybe not even a LT at all. So Wright was the anti-Braxton Jones in that you aren't hoping you have something on the bookend. You probably have a solid, yet talented protection for your QB. There's obviously nothing wrong with that. But it also makes me a little upset that there was not more done last year to get Fields solid, yet talented protection. That also being said, I hope the motivation for the pick wasn't because Wright was "safe". I hope he wasn't prioritized because they are so into Braxton and looked at Wright being a RT as an easy way to avoid any controversy about who would play on the left and right sides. But it all comes back to Poles blatantly ignoring help for Fields last year, now he's potentially chasing positions instead of talent.

Chase Brown from Illinois? The gap is huge in talent. In actual effect on an NFL offense? Maybe not as big, but Bijan is almost certainly going to be handed 80% snap rate as a rookie if he's healthy. Brown will have to find his spots in a rotation. Of course, part of that is where they'll be drafted, but the other part is pure talent.

Part of why Fields got sacked is because he held onto the ball too long. If you can add a guy who can get open quickly, that increases the incentive for Fields to get the ball out quickly, thus reduces the number of sacks he takes. If JSN is that guy (and he looks like he should be) then he's probably worth more than a RT as far as reducing hits on Fields. I do agree, I don't love him at 9. I'd be more for JSN in a trade down, but it remains to be seen how far they can move and still get him.

WRs- My WR rankings aren't exactly cemented yet, so I will wing it a bit. Almost everyone here has iffy hands. Lot of 9-12% drop rates here. Tier 1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio St- best WR of this class, but not up with top WRs of top classes, elite quickness and agility, probably on wins short and intermediate, no deep threat, but don't pigeonhole to slot only Quentin Johnston, TCU- amazing after catch, if he actually makes the catch, not bad hands but doesn't snatch the ball like a big WR Zay Flowers, Boston College- short, small catch radius, can get open all 3 levels, bulkier than you'd think Jordan Addison, USC- tinier than you'd think, Devonta Smith slimness, without quite that level ability. Great routes Tier 2 Cedric Tillman, Tennessee- one of few big WRs in this class, '21 amazing, '22 hurt, true boundary guy, downfield/jumpball threat Rashee Rice, SMU- stock has cooled a bit, if takes the next level in route running to consistently separate, he could be WR1 from this class Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee- plays faster than timed, lowkey has sharp breaks on routes, don't pigeonhole as deep threat only Jayden Reed, Michigan St- '22 tape isn't special, but senior bowl was, similar to Zay can make plays all over, little bigger, not the same route runner as Flowers Josh Downs, North Carolina- contested catch God somehow at 5'9, don't love his route running or hands, but will have a role Tier 3 Tank Dell- probably knock him a little for Mooney similarities, better pure route runner, not quite the deep threat/speed, 0 catch radius but great with ball in his hands Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss- big body WR who can run, doesn't separate out of breaks, not saying he's Deebo, but if anyone could be from this class.... Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa St- Allen Robinson type, but unfortunately more like 21-22 ARob than 17-20. Needs improved route running, but still possession guy who can take the top off a defense if needed Tier 4 Parker Washington, Penn St- RB body playing WR, great hands, good at finding spots in zone, slot/gadget only? Marvin Mims, Oklahoma- productive player, but not a good route runner for an undersized guy, hands issues, 0 strength Tyler Scott, Cincinnati- track level speed, can he do anything but run deep?, 0 strength AT Perry, Wake Forest- I'm biased because I hate their offense, runs delayed routes as WF runs slow developing RPOs, takes a lot to gear up or down, super long arms best catch radius in class Others- Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WVU- big, but didn't play as fast as he timed Matt Landers, Arkansas- 6'4", 200lbs and can fly, worth late round flyer Kayshon Boutte, LSU- my #1 WR in Sept, played like a 5th round pick, tested like a 6th, off-field makes him UDFA at best Michael Wilson, Stanford- people love him from Senior bowl but honestly have only watched 1 game, and that was like the only game he stayed healthy for in the last 3 years. Was a highlight tape though. Has skills but can he stay on the field?

Tight Ends Tier 1 Dalton Kincaid, Utah- seam monster, good athlete, great hands Darnell Washington, Georgia- if Skoronski isn't the best overall blocker in the draft, he is. Like a 3rd tackle, freak linear athlete, not much twitch, but makes defenders twitch after he pancakes them Tier 2 Michael Mayer- more like Michael Meh-er. Meh is fine at TE. Bears have meh at home. Similar player to Kmet, ND has a type Sam LaPorta, Iowa- good receiver, decent blocker, love his run after catch ability, health issues rumored? NGL his school excites me as a TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon St- getting a little overrated based on flashes, could show more if not always hurt. Great size, great potential as a receiver, not much of a blocker Tier 3 Zach Kuntz, Old Dominion- freak! 6'8 and very fluid athlete. Bears have great situation for him to develop in as #3 TE this year and 2 going forward w/ no pressure to be TE1 Tucker Kraft- South Dakota St- he's probably not Dallas Goedert from the same school, but he could be. Similar all-around skillset Tier 4 Brayden Willis, Oklahoma- like him a lot, undersized H-back type, good blocker, flashes of dynamic ability in space Will Mallory, Miami- one of the faster TEs in the class, potential top end receiver at the position, willing but just OK blocker Brenton Strange, Penn St- similar to Willis IMO, little bigger to play in-line though, a RAC type of TE who is a good athlete Payne Durham, Purdue- in the Kmet/Mayer mold, but poor man's version. Could be a solid TE for a team that doesn't expect a star Tier 5 Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan- backup TE upside, good blocker, checkdown level receiver Davis Allen, Clemson- opposite of Schoonmaker, solid receiver, not a blocker, still a #2 TE type Cameron Latu, Alabama- similar build to Mallory, but doesn't have that athletic ability as a receiver. OK and willing to do everything

RB rankings Tier 1 Bijan Robinson, Texas- LaDanian's nephew is in the CB class. Bijan is LaDanian's clone as a runner. HOF talent Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama- Bijan truly a tier of his own, but Gibbs is a 1st rounder too IMO. Excellent vision and receiver. More offensive weapon than RB Tier 3 (no tier 2) Roschon Johnson, Texas- all around back, big (short yardage), good hands, good blocker, no super quick Kendre Miller, TCU- runs w/ patience, but when he sees the hole, he goes. Receiving? Zach Charbonnet, UCLA- poor man's Matt Forte, glider, not as good a receiver, not quite as elusive Devon Achane, Texas A&M- another weapon, tiny but can get 10-12 carries between tackles. Good receiver, Tyjae Spears, Tulane- quick, potential to be a really good WR, don't pigeonhole into 3rd down back Tier 4 Kenny McIntosh, Georgia- may be a 3rd down back, despite his size. Really good receiver, can actually line up wide. OK blocker, just OK between tackles, has some shake,, some violent runs, no calling card as a runner Eric Gray, Oklahoma- also 3rd down back, similar to McIntosh but not as good in tackles. Israel Abanikanda, Pitt- big time speed, looks for the hole and goes, hangs in backfield too long though, not great urgency. Not sure if receiver or blocker Zach Evans, Ole Miss- all the talent on earth, think he was #1 overall recruit, but lost carries to backups at 2 different schools, zone scheme only, good speed, mediocre vision and wiggle Tank Bigsby, Auburn- 2021 tape was better IMO. Solid all around, not a blocker or receiver, not great long speed Sean Tucker, Syracuse- good speed, leaves lot to be desired, no 3rd down value blocking or catching Chase Brown, Illinois- good at everything, doesn't stand out in any area. Kind of a faster Montgomery? I think he has better receiving potential than people give him credit for The rest Dewayne McBride, UAB- big, good speed, fumbles too much Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota- big, likes to run into people, not NFL level talent, but NFL level work ethic Deuce Vaughn, Kansas St- Darren Sproles 2.0, 3rd down/KR guy only Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky; Evan Hull, Northwestern- see Ibrahim

Interior OL Tier 1 Peter Skoronski, Northwestern- I fully believe he can play OT in the league, but physical outlier. Could be a good OT or a great OG. I'll take the great guard. Best pure blocker in the class O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida- buzz kind of wore off, but he's a big monster than can move and maul. Not going to be a Chicago Bear but may be an actual bear John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota- if you like really athletic linemen, he's not your guy. But damn if he can't make every single block. Great out of stance, which allows him to make reach, 2nd level and pull blocks Tier 2 Cody Mauch, North Dakota St- short arms, athletic former TE, wish he was longer because he'd be a stud OT prospect. Prefer him at C than OG Steve Avila, TCU- anti Mauch, good length can play OG or C, no OT experience or I'd try him there. Can move now, think he's a stud if he cuts weight to 315ish Emil Ekiyor, Alabama- throwback OG type, short w/ bubble butt, think he's underrated, good mover, solid anchor Tier 3 Luke Wypler, Ohio St- another short-armed guy, C only hurts him, but young age (RS soph) helps, as done good game vs Jalen Carter in playoff Jon Gaines, UCLA- great athlete, willing to be on those tools at OG or OC Joe Tippman, Wisconsin- 6'6 centers scare me, great on the move, fits Bears O. Anchor in pass rush may be bad Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse- popular 2nd round target in Bears mocks. I think he's a guard. Lateral movement is iffy. Like his anchor and length though Braeden Daniels, Utah- can probably play some OT. Sub 300lbs. Elite mover, a lot of nasty to his game Tier 4 Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan- was a beast vs Ohio St. Strong as an ox, don't like his movement skills Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas- definition of solid, has experience, scheme versatile, doesn't excel at anything, which is fine Juice Scruggs, Penn St- solid w/ C/G versatility, jack of all master of none type, good length, needs to keep moving feet at contact McClendon Curtis, Chattanooga- freakishly long arms, good athlete, but don't want him in space, developmental OG Andrew Vorhees, USC- would be tier 2 if healthy, feel bad tore ACL at combine and may be 26 by NFL debut, but a really good blocker at OG

Switching up to Offensive tackle Tier 1 Paris Johnson Jr, Ohio St- 1 year at LT, 1 at RG, long, strong, athletic. Not as Day 1 ready as I'd like for top 10, but upside is immense Anton Harrison, Oklahoma- forgotten guy, he's the youngest OT in the class w/ most LT experience, really good pass blocker, solid run blocker, but a tad passive Darnell Wright, Tennessee- started 3 years on both sides, RT tape in 2022 way better than LT tape. Big, mean, more athletic than I thought. High floor, but still w/ a ceiling Broderick Jones, Georgia- anti-Harrison, nasty in run game, no idea how to pass block, yet. UGA ran hella RPOs Dawand Jones, Ohio St- late 1st round pick, IMO. He's really good. He's just not a Bear at 6'8, 360lbs Tier 2 Wanya Morris, Oklahoma- 5* recruit, off-field, struggled, transferred, benched, but you can see the talent, needs consistency. Physical clone of Braxton Jones Blake Freeland, BYU- if you wanted to sign McGlinchey, that's who you hope he becomes, 0 play strength, but great athlete. Not Mormon, so only 21/22 not 30 Tier 3 Tyler Steen, Alabama- he's so average it's boring. But boring on OL is good. Jack of all, master of none Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland- good athlete, looks the part. 6 sacks 19 pressures vs OSU, Mich, Penn St. Yikes Tier 4 Carter Warren, Pitt- good athlete, looks the part. Gave up too many sacks in 20 & 21, got hurt missed most of this year Warren McClendon, Georgia- he's not great, but 4* 3-year starter at UGA means something. Held off Jones as starter in '21 Asim Richards, North Carolina- has upside, but passive (sometimes lazy) in pass pro, not a great run blocker

CB Tier 1 Devon Witherspoon, Illinois- he's 1A or 1B, with CB I simply value guys who don't let other guys catch the ball Christian Gonzalez, Oregon- 1B, I'd draft him over 'Spoon, size, smooth movements, ball skills, better man/zone versatility Cam Smith, South Carolina- 2021 he didn't let guys catch the ball. Did in 2022, a lot. But that ability is still there, also w/ ball skills Deonte Banks, Maryland- athletic, sticky, good change of direction skills, ball skills? Joey Porter Jr, Penn State- he's his dad but at CB, 34" arms, press man, can he play zone? Tier 2 Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi St- amazing ball skills, 6 pick 6's in 2 years, IIRC. 6'1, but weighs like 130lbs. Don't ask him to tackle Julius Brents, Kansas St- long, fast, in the mold of top '22 rookies (Sauce, Woolen). Drafted somewhere in between Tyrique Stevenson, Miami- above average measurables all around, press man guy who I think will either thrive or fall on face in zone heavy scheme Tre-Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU- LaDanian's nephew, only 5'7", good at everything except being big, will go much later than this in draft Clark Phillips, Utah- also tiny, but don't pigeonhole in slot. Uses sidelines well, not great chasing people all over the field Tier 3 DJ Turner, Michigan- really really fast, not sure how well he plays CB but tools and length are there, gets beat but closes Eli Ricks, Alabama- think he was hurt a lot this year, better 2021 tape, looked like day 1/2 pick Darius Rush, South Carolina- big, long, ball skills. Sleeper to be top rookie. Big Senior Bowl week put him on radar, little tight hipped? Cory Trice, Purdue- if can't get Brents in 2nd, get Trice in 3rd. Kind of the same dude, but Brents better athlete Tier 4 Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M- tape was OK, sloppy technique, tested below average. Would be fun because Bears would then have 2 Jaylon Joneses in the CB room Garrett Williams, Syracuse- he's a good player, but has had injuries and didn't work out (ACL?, can't remember), agressive, agile, not great at catch point Others: Terrell Smith, Minnesota- haven't really watched Riley Moss, Iowa- unicorn AKA white CB, multiple pick 6's against my Hoosiers Kelee Ringo, Georgia- he CAN play CB, but he got worked by good WRs in man this year. I have him as a safety where he can keep everything in front of him.

If anyone cares....I decided to drop some draft position rankings. I'll throw in some little blurbs as well. This is very Bears centric, so I didn't really do much "scouting" at safety. And I basically stopped looking at LB after signing Edwards and Edmunds. So I won't include those positions. I'll also do separate posts for each position Starting with EDGE Tier 1 (1st round) 1. Will Anderson, Alabama- he's great, don't overthink 2. Nolan Smith, Georgia- don't box him in to 3-4 OLB, he's the best run defender on the list with the best pass rush ability 3. Myles Murphy, Clemson- did Venables take the DL's pass rush moves w/ him like the Monstars? 2021 tape better across the board. 4. Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech- don't dislike a 7' wing span on the edge, but no double digit sack guy in his future 5. Lukas Van Ness, Iowa- 1 move is a bull rush, but it's great. More moves and counters away from top DE in class 6. Will McDonald, Iowa St- best bend in class, super long arms and good speed. Run D? Tier 2 (2nd round) Keion White, Georgia Tech- on re-watch really liked, big, strong can bend. get downhill burst BJ Ojulari, LSU- polished pass rusher w/ counters, solid like his brother in NY. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas St- fun athlete, all over the place, high upside/really low floor Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame- motor, effort, good run D, bend is iffy Byron Young, Tennessee- big fan of his game and story, speed for days. Another 25 yo from the Vols though? Derick Hall, Auburn- jack of all trades, master of none, great effort, doesn't play run D yet Tier 3 (round 3/4, top 125) Zach Harrison, Ohio St- Tyree Wilson build, Owen Wilson production. He has insane highs, handed Jaelyn Duncan his ass this year Yaya Diaby, Louisville- big, fast, raw. Misused a bit, love the upside here Isaiah McGuire, Missouri- one of the stronger DEs in this class, enough speed and bend around edge, left wanting more on tape DJ Johnson, Oregon- another old dude (24), quietly has some juice off the edge. Tier 4 (4th/5th round, after 125th pick) Tuli Tuipulotu, USC- don't love him as much as most, great using his hands, but don't think he can win the same way in NFL. Would prefer he get up to 285-290 and play inside KJ Henry, Clemson- average at everything. Could be a rotational guy for years Andre Carter, Army- don't love him as much as most. Very skinny, raw, needs and NFL weight program then may lose athleticism which he doesn't exactly have a ton to spare Tavius Robinson, Ole Miss- long, quick, very stiff There's other guys that I'd have a 6th-UDFA level: Robert Beal, UGA; Thomas Incoom, Western Mich; Dylan Horton, TCU; Ali Gaye, LSU; Brenton Cox Jr, Florida; MJ Anderson, Iowa St; Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt; Ikenna Enechukwu, Rice; Nick Herbig, Wisconsin; Villami Fehoko, San Jose St

I think if Paris Johnson goes before 9, as is the most recent rumor(s), then that's more reason for the Bears to stay at 9 and take a tackle. If PJJ is gone, You're not getting one of the top guys if you trade too far down. The rumored teams wanting OT are definitely: Arizona, NY Jets, Steelers, Patriots; and maybe Vegas, Philly, Detroit and Atlanta if you include Skoronski

I think in general tackles are less important to a team with mobile QBs. But it happens that the Bears mobile QB also likes to hold onto the ball for a long time. So, that makes the OT position more important. Rollouts do take away some of the importance of the tackles, but scrambles are a result of pressure so in theory, better RT = less scrambles.

The problem with that is that can go for any position in this draft. You have talked about how you don't want defense with the first pick. So on offense, you aren't taking a QB. You could get WR1, but IMO WR1 also isn't a top 10 talent. Smith-Njigba may not have outside versatility, so may never be a true #1 WR that you'd hope you're getting top 10. TE isn't worthy of a top 10 pick almost ever (of it may be next year). And then you have guard and tackle. You don't want to take OG1 top 10 as it's simply not a high value position. Even the best OG prospect of the last 10 years (Quinton Nelson) has already already made the descent from elite within his first 5 seasons. Even on defense, there's a very real chance the Bears don't get DT1, DE1 or 2, or CB1 or 2 at the 9th pick. So, you're probably going to have to "settle" on a non-elite prospect in the top 10, unless you can find a trade down. Of course, the same reason why you would want to trade down is why it will be hard for teams trading up.

I know we have a small sample size with Poles, but nothing about his 14 months on the job says to me that he will pick Darnell Wright at 9. He's plenty athletic and long-armed, but unless they feel better about him at LT than 2021 tape shows or think he has inside versatility as some draft "experts" do. He doesn't have the versatility nor is the he the absolute freak athletically in space that the Bears have told everyone who listens that they love. Wright is still extremely good. And may very well be the best OT in this class, and I wouldn't be surprised if they targeted him after a trade down. But there's 2 OTs at the top who are more toolsy with more athletic upside. Johnson is longer than Wright and has actually shown versatility to play inside and on the opposite side of the formation. Wright seems way too "safe" for what Poles has done so far. This is not to say I would hate the move. And honestly, it would show me a lot that Poles sees how bad this OL is and wants more of a Day 1 ready guy at RT instead of building for 2024 and taking the best player available. Wright is a pure need. They have a hole at RT. He plays RT and basically only RT. He's as "win now" as a pick for the Bears can get in this draft. But he does still have upside and I absolutely LOVE the thought of him playing at 315-320 in the outside zone scheme. So kind of the best of both worlds, but I don't see Poles taking anyone at 9 that he could possibly get later in the draft by trading down.

The logic for the draft AFTER free agency is because it helps keep veterans employed. If the draft was before free agency, many vets would be out of jobs or would get less money after teams have drafted younger and potentially cheaper players, decreasing FA demand. And that logic makes most sense in the NFL where you have a salary cap, there are guys coming off of injuries every year, and there's legit attrition due to player age.

Yeah, I don't hate the JSN move. I've gone back and forth on him in general, because I don't love him as a top 10 pick (and out of spite because Bears twitter act like he's the only WR in the draft). But I can't complain about adding a short level separator to the offense that he's familiar with. If JSN's presence forces Fields to get rid of the ball quicker and take fewer hits, he's worth more than a good RT, IMO.

Just putting some thoughts out there. So, I'm starting to kind of see the Poles plan coming together. OR at least what I hope to be the plan. Right now, Poles is taking the quantity approach. 2022 draft he somehow managed 11 picks, though 8 of them were outside of the top 150. This year, Poles has 10 picks so far (wouldn't be surprised to see 1 or 2 more), with 8 of them in the TOP 150. Seems like he is working the roster for the bottom up, probably out of necessity. To be fair, he could have done a bit more than he did last offseason, but obviously there wasn't a huge avenue to add much top end talent with limited cap and early draft picks. Of those 11 picks, 2 of the 3 top 150 picks look like they will be solid starters for this team going forward (Gordon, Brisker). Poles was also able to hopefully find a solid starter after 150 in Braxton Jones. While, the Bears have already cut/lost Zachary Thomas, and guys like Ebner and Kramer may not be long for this roster; they also added a punter and potential depth guys like Carter, Velus, and Robinson. So in summary, you're looking at 1 pretty good starter (Brisker), and 2 other guys that will start with a decent chance of being decent starters (Jones, Gordon), a gadget player and return man who was overdrafted but has a potentially valuable role on the team based on recent history of Hester/Patterson, 2 depth guys, and a punter. This year, with the increase in the high picks, you will have a legitimate 8 players that should make this roster. You'd hope the highest pick becomes a really good starter and building block for the roster. And then those three Day 2 picks, you'd hope you'd get a similar hit rate of Brisker, Gordon, Jones Jr. (1 good starter, 1 potentially solid starter). Then the Bears have 4 picks in the 75-150 range, where they had 0 picks last year. So, remains to be seen what Poles can do there. Then I wouldn't expect much from the 7th round picks, unless Poles decides to draft a kicker or longsnapper to come away with another "starter" on a technicality. Of the guys Poles added outside of the draft, you do have 2 potential superstars in DJ Moore and Tremaine Edmunds. You have TJ Edwards, Nate Davis and Demarcus Walker as guys that should be above average to pretty good starters. Then you have short-term guys that will have important roles that you hope will be average or better (like Claypool, Patrick, Green, Billings, Justin Jones, etc) And of the draft picks Poles inherited, you hope you have a potential superstar at the most important position in sports. You have above average starters in Mooney, Kmet and Jackson, with Mooney and Kmet with potential of being long-term pieces if re-signed. Then there's guys like Herbert, Jenkins, and Johnson who may or may not be long-term pieces, but should be solid starters, with the potential of signing long-term if they take another step (Herbert in an increased role, Jenkins with health, Johnson w/ ball production). So, the Bears have some pieces. They are missing the superstar level talent needed to be a true competitor. Obviously, most important is Fields getting to that level, but the 2024 draft is setting up as a potential year to add multiple star players with likely two picks in the top 15. Throw in the 2nd rounder, and you have a chance to add 3 players next year who went higher than Brisker went last year. Trade down this year (or package picks to move up) and you have the potential to add 2 such players this year. It's frustrating to go through a rebuilding, especially when the GM essentially wasted a year of a rookie QB contract, but that wasted year will be a pivotal part of potentially getting this team to championship level.

It is risky, and I'm not sure if I trust him either. But I feel like if the Bears pick him, they'll have done their due diligence as they've met with him a ton. So, their trust would increase my trust.

A lot of smoke today about Jalen Carter not making it past the Bears at 9. With the Steelers stuff also coming out, sounds like it's Carter or trade down for the Bears. But again, this is lying season with the draft now within 2 weeks. I'm kind of torn. I'd love to get another top 35 pick in this draft. But the best way for me to feel comfortable-ish with the DL is to take Carter at 9. With Carter, you'd have your big piece of the defense. The 3-tech that makes the pass rush go. I'd feel a lot better about the DL as guys like Justin Jones and Demarcus Walker would go to much more sustainable, rotational players and not guys that look like they will get like 75% of the snaps right now. And if you add a Day 2 DE, you can have a couple pretty solid rotations at DE and DT, with 1 potential stud on the line. Unfortunately though, with no 2nd pick until 53, you're looking at an either/or situation with being comfortable with the OL or the DL. With a trade down, you could add a guy at each position, but you'd also lose the level of comfortable that DT1 or OT1 would provide. Now, if you told me they could get Darnell Wright and an Adebawore from a trade down, I'd take that. I'd be pretty comfortable at OL, but DL would still be iffy. So essentially, Carter is the only DT that could make me feel good about the DL, while any of the top 4 OTs (and even Skoronski if they think he can play there) would make me feel OK with the OL. So, I'm good with the Carter or trade down move. That being said, while Paris Johnson isn't your typical top 10 LT, it would be tough to pass on him, if he's there. By all accounts, he is an absolute pillar of a human being and good guys with elite athletic traits tend to work out. So there's still some risk involved with passing up OT at 9, even beyond Carter's off field stuff.

Agreed about the too many holes. But IMO, the important ones are 3-tech and RT. If they get building blocks there, everything else is gravy. They can sign a CB (Ya-Sin, Griffin, or god forbid, Eli Apple). They can sign Floyd or Ngakoue at edge. There's nobody on the market they can sign at DT or RT that would make me feel better about those positions. So, they have to draft them, IMO. But Carter makes the DL much better. Right now, Demarcus Walker would need like 80% of the snaps. Justin Jones didn't hold up to a bunch of snaps and no talent around him last year, so it would help him as well. And obviously, RT has only dudes that were benched (Borom, Leatherwood). Positions like RB, WR, TE, OL depth, could all use draft picks, but the groups as is you can get by with for a year. Tired of doing that, but is what it is at that point.

Well, Tuipulotu only weighed in at 266lbs after being listed at like 290 for USC, so he basically shed the "tweener" label and went all in on being an edge rusher. I'd like him a lot more if he was a 3-tech. Maybe he adds the weight (if he ever had it) and can become a 3T, but I certainly wouldn't want to be the one to take him in the top 75 to do that. He's a fine player, and as an edge he has a great motor and is very skilled with his hands, I don't know if he has the quickness and bend to be more than a rotational player. I wish I knew how athletic he was. He still hasn't worked out, not at the combine and USC had it's pro day, so I'm guessing he has an injury of some sort, so that makes things even worse IMO. I think he's an early to mid Day 3 guy at this point (rounds 4 or 5).

Yeah, I think if they are actually OK with Carter's off-field stuff (and I am more worried about the love of football stuff with the pro day failure) then I think he's the target. It just makes too much sense. He's considered the best player in this class by a lot of people and if the Bears can move down from 1 to 9 and still get the best player in the class, seems like the ideal scenario. Also other than off ball LB and WR, DT is the only other area where we've seen the Bears wanting to make a big splash (Ogunjobi failed deal). I'm not sure how they feel about Wilson (not sure how I feel either), but he seems like a Flus pick. Obviously has the size, length, fits a need and has versatility. But that injury. It's tough to take a guy top 10 coming off a broken foot. Hopefully, he is able to work out in the next few weeks and remove any doubt of his health and athleticism. But I keep coming back to Paris Johnson. Not because he's this flawless prospect, but they aren't going to get any better character guy in this draft. He does tireless community work, speaks different languages, was a great student. If the Bears are unsure about Carter, they can't get a more polar opposite personality than Johnson. Ironically, him being a tackle is what gives me hesitation. LOL. Poles hasn't really done anything based on what the Bears really need, other than be aggressive acquiring WRs after putting himself in a hole there beforehand. I do think the 9th pick comes down to: 1. Are we OK with Carter's character? 2. Is Paris Johnson a blue chip player? 3. Trade down I don't know if I really see anyone else picked at 9, unless they can't find a trade (seems unlikely) and both are gone.