AZ54

I'm optimistic but for 2023. At this point given the challenges of the roster overhaul both from a talent and new scheme fit perspective he's done well to set us up for 2023. That is largely a factor on how well he traded back and what he did with all those extra picks. Oline is in better shape at least in terms of depth for this new scheme and I feel confident at least one and possibly two of these picks will turn into starters. Hopefully it's Braxton at LT. WR is still missing another go-to piece. I think guys like Pringle and Velus are good complimentary guys you want, maybe Dazz can get into that category. I'm ok if we go with an army of 2's to spread the field. The defense has totally changed in terms of talent in the back 7 which was the gap I was thinking we'd carry in 2022. We have several young guys at the edge with very good long term potential. A stud 3-tech is the glaring piece we're missing. I think we'll be competitive in a lot of games but not against playoff caliber teams. The scheme changes on both sides of the ball will take time for the players to learn, not to mention we're going to rely on several rookies this year. He's avoided over-committing on long contracts to FAs so far. Even the contract to Ogunjobi was just 3yr. The first big contracts he completes will be Mooney and Roquan. Next year they'll be able to evaluate the roster and then use all that cap space and a full draft to help close remaining gaps. The one caveat is that Fields needs to take a big step up this year. Do that and I'll be very optimistic about what we can put on the field in 2023. With the new coaches the odds this happens have gone up.

I'm not as optimistic as you are, my comments are bolded above. Oline are both a work in progress.

Jean Delance plays so far over his feet he'll be tossed around like a rag doll in the NFL. I like Sanborn he was one of my late options to fill the SLB role. Derick Bush has some promising aspects to his game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaYhNIzWtn0 Cyrus Holder struggles to get separation from LBs.. won't go anywhere in the NFL. Same for Luke Little. I'm not sure why we're wasting time on these guys. I'm not sure why I'm wasting my time on them other than to understand what Poles is trying to do. At this point with so many meh players out of small schools I feel like he's just throwing as many darts as possible hoping to hit on one or two. Chase Allen out of Iowa State is more of a move TE since I've watched him quite a bit. Nothing special athletically but like Sanborn he's someone worth bringing in the building as a possible depth player.

Overall I really like what Poles did on Day 3. Braxton Jones floor should be as our backup swing OT but he has starter traits and may develop into our LT of the future. I feel the same about Zach Thomas for the IOL. Ja'Tyre Carter has the raw skills but is on a longer timeline. Just watching his Senior Bowl clips he looks like he needs to add strength and improve his hands but he moves well in space. In his defense he hasn't played inside much so Senior Bowl work was a big transition for him coming from a smaller school. Probably a practice squad candidate this year. Ebner's best value is as a returner where he has really good vision to setup his blocks. His running style is similar to Herbert probably with a bit more burst out of the cuts. He has very good hands and I can see him carving out a role as a 3rd down back/returner early in his career. I love the potential of Robinson on the edge. Listening to his press conference he's already been working on adding pass rush moves so he isn't waiting around for an NFL team to get better. Hearing that he's been modeling his game off what Leonard Floyd does wasn't very inspirational. I'm not sure what to make of the C Kramer. Elijah Hicks should end up as a good backup safety for us/special teams player. He's a little undersized but his approach to the game and turnovers is what we want to see. He's not an elite athlete and although he is new to playing safety he is instinctive and gets after it when he sees it. Not a single high safety for the NFL but he'll be ok in a zone. I wouldn't be surprised to see him make some big plays in preseason against backups on offense who are still trying to figure things out. As far as drafting a punter: This kid is not Mega Punt but he has a good leg and can get enough hang time on his punts so the coverage is in place to force a fair catch. He has some different style kicks too. If he's kicking from around mid-field he'll drop the ball with the point down and it will have a ton of hang time and drop deep into the red zone with his half his coverage team there to down it. Most punters just try to aim so it goes out of bounds inside the 20yd line. Not him. How consistently he can do that remains to be seen but that skill might be why we drafted him. It's interesting to note that the mega punt kid can get your team out of a hole and flip the field but this kid can put the other team in one inside the 10yd line. I think four punters got drafted this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYxVq_xa734

I forgot about Snowden. IIRC he was a little too skinny coming out but hopefully he's added some bulk and is ready to compete. It'll be interesting to watch them develop over the season but we could have a good DE rotation by the end of the season. If Robinson is good enough to make the 53 he'll likely struggle to be on the game day roster.

In his press conference he compared himself to Pollard. Poles likes his ability to run in the wide-zone scheme.

I got nothing right. Hopefully Poles did.

That's still a lot of potential for this late in the draft. Braxton Jones had a 5.97 score and so Poles valued the potential LT over the DE prospect. Here''s the converted WR at the Senior Bowl practices: There's a lot to work with here.

Seems like a guy who will end up on the practice squad. He's got the ability to play in the NFL and his versatility as a returned is a benefit.

Zach Thomas is a good pick for our blocking scheme. He needs time to develop but could slot in as a backup this year. Having experience at OT could help him earn a roster spot. Not a steal or value pick as this is where he was expected to go but still a good prospect for us. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/zach-thomas/32005448-4f41-0700-de26-4c02b0aacfb3 Tackle-to-guard prospect with run-blocking talent to work with, Thomas is a fit for zone-scheme teams as a sticky move blocker with the ability to shift and stay connected while continuing to keep his feet moving. https://thedraftnetwork.com/prospect-rankings Zachary Thomas is a sufficient-level athlete with regards to body control and agility. In the run game, he doesn't generate vertical movement and is more of a positional blocker. He does show good temperament and finish. In the passing game, he has been good for the college level of football. He plays with good football IQ and is a sufficient reactor to twists inside. He appears to have sufficient arm length and could become more consistent with his hand placement. He has sufficient power in his punch and latch strength in his hands. In the NFL, he is ideally suited on the interior but has the ability to get you out of a game at one of the tackle positions. He could afford to add more mass to his frame and will be valuable to a team largely due to his football instincts and ability to play multiple roles

You are not supposed to be able to find players with a 6.3 grade this late in the draft. His 41" vertical indicates a very good burst. NFL Comparison Whitney Mercilus https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dominique-robinson/3200524f-4240-4567-d940-a5c388777ffe Prospect Grade 6.30 Will Eventually Be Plus Starter

Add another: On The Draft Network he was ranked 116 overall, we got him at 168 https://thedraftnetwork.com/prospect-rankings "Braxton Jones is a highly decorated senior who aligns at left tackle. He is a good athlete overall who is agile enough to move his feet in his set. In the run game, he's physical and aggressive but not necessarily overpowering. He doesn't generate vertical movement as consistent as I’d like. He's more of a positional blocker who’s athletic enough to get to cut off on the backside. In the passing game, he's got great range and length. His anchor is good for the Big Sky conference, but he can really take his game to another level by getting stronger and improving his body composition. He can move laterally to handle the cross face from defenders. He appears to have excellent length that when paired with his athleticism makes it hard for defenders to speed rush him. In the NFL, although it may take two years, he could certainly develop into a quality left tackle for some teams, particularly ones who use a zone-blocking scheme."

I was thinking about this thread last night too. Exactly what do we want out of our DBs in this defense? I'm still stuck on the old Lovie 2 that Rodgers constantly threw into submission on sideline routes between the S and CB, and a young Nathan Vasher who was only good moving forward. We just drafted a CB who can backpedal and flip his hips in man coverage with the best of 'em. That seems like more than what you need for someone to sit in zone defense. Brisker is versatile enough to fit any scheme. He can do a lot more than just cover half the field and react to the ball. FWIW if teams like the Packers, who last year moved Adams all over the field to get him away from Jaylon Johnson, try that now with their star receiver, we'll be able to handle it. Our best coverage combination might be having Gordon in the slot with Graham/Johnson outside.

I just listened to Poles' press conference and that is exactly what they plan to do with Velus. He even compared him to Deebo... in terms of versatility and ability to line up in the backfield. He is the chess piece in the same way Cordarrelle Patterson was supposed to be, except he has much better hands, even down to special teams returner and gunner. He's physical as a runner too. Let's hope this time around we have an OC and HC who know how to play chess. I thought he was more of a Day 3 option but I do recognize that a guy like this frees up a special teams roster spot which is pretty valuable, both on the 53 and on game day. There is a good interview with him on his draft page at NFL.com and he seems like a player who will represent the Bears very well. https://www.nfl.com/prospects/velus-jones/32004a4f-4e82-6251-6347-ca9076d159e9 Brisker is the anti-Eddie Jackson safety. This is a guy who runs to contact, works through the trash (or as Velus calls it ...the smoke) to find the ball. He can hit. He's versatile enough to handle some single-high safety looks but is more of a smart SS type. He's still young and has room to learn but he makes our defense better and that will be noticeable early on once he gets comfortable with the the defense. Gordon I like a lot. Whether he is outside or inside at NB he's a very good athlete. Just the fact he has played both roles well demonstrates that. He's a physical tackler too. I never looked at him pre-draft because I never thought he'd be there, and of course I fully expected we'd go WR/Oline. I fully expected to go into this season still in the midst of a DB crisis. I think that's over. I'm not happy with the way the draft turned out with all the Oline going early but I'm happy with the picks and we filled some huge needs. My goal was to come out of the draft with at least 2 starters for 2022, hopefully 3, and we drafted 2 on defense.

So did the 49ers at the end of Rd 3.

One problem: To open up the underneath routes you need deeper routes that take time. That requires good blocking up front. Feels a little like how KC built their WR corps. No X, just get a group of WRs with speed and RAC ability. Of course they had one of the best in Hill who opened up a lot for everyone else. Of course they replaced him with Skyy Moore. There is one other possibility and that is Getsy like Eq St. Brown more than anyone else. I doubt that is true and I expect nothing from St. Brown except his ability to free up a roster spot for someone who can play.

He was one of my targets for Day 3. I really like his versatility for KR/PR but don't see him as an X. He seems more like the 3rd/4th WR, someone to compete with Pringle and Dazz for snaps. Love the deep speed and RAC. He'll be good for the typical Packer plays I'm sure Getsy will run with the WR screens, drag routes but he's got a steep learning curve on route running for a 25yr old WR.

I said it yesterday, if the draft is handing you lemons go make some lemonade and we just did that with our DBs. Plus we added Cruikshank and still have a promising Thomas Graham in the room. In front of them we have Roquan and Morrow to help in coverage.

Well we have two shutdown CBs. Rodgers doesn't need separation to complete passes he just needs to know when and where a WR will be. The DBs will be ok now but if sitting in a Cover 2 with no pass rush it won't matter. I should add we still have Quinn.

It seems like the Bears did a lot of work on 3/4/5th Rd WRs. Maybe now we know why.

We got a GM...the draft didn't fall our way and so stayed the course and went BPA, and at a position of need. "Kyler Gordon is an exceptional athlete with explosive and dynamic movement. In the run game, he comes up hard when he is the force player in zone. He is an eager participant in the run game and does a good job as a tackler on the perimeter and in space as a core special teamer. In the passing game, he is exceptional. His outstanding agility and quickness in coverage help him stay in phase. From press alignment, he often uses bail technique and closes quickly when he can play with vision. From off man, he can get a little “nosey” with his eyes but obviously trusts his athleticism in these instances. In the NFL, he has the athleticism and hips to be a starting outside corner. However, his tackling ability, instincts, and agility also project him favorably to playing inside, giving him true inside/outside flexibility."

Working the clock and likely the phones. Let's see if a trade happens.

It took DeVante Adams several years to emerge as a top WR. I like Watson quite a bit, would have loved to have him develop in Chicago, but how fast do you think he'll adapt to the NFL from N. Dakota St.? To me this was a bit of a reach since they are on a tight Superbowl clock with their QB.

That is the only QB I can see a team trading up for...at any round. Fields would have gone top 5 in this draft if not #1 overall as I could see a team trading with JAX to get ahead of Detroit.

Not on screen is what they are drinking.