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#Post#: 488142--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: boogie Date: March 4, 2024, 12:01 pm
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Could do worse:
NO. 1: CALEB WILLIAMS - QUARTERBACK - USC
We’ve known for a long time that Williams is as good of a
prospect as any in recent memory. There are practically no flaws
in his game and he can make every throw on the field. But the
Bears got to know Williams personally for the first time last
week. Character matters a lot to them. If they like Williams as
a person, they’ll pick him at the top of the draft. If they find
red flags there’s a chance they trade the pick away and select
someone else. But that feels unlikely at this point.
For all our coverage on the QB phenom, click here.
NO. 9: DALLAS TURNER - EDGE - ALABAMA
There’s been a lot of talk about the Bears using their second
top-10 pick to bring in a dynamic pass catcher to jump start
their offense with Williams. In this mock, however, Marvin
Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze and Brock Bowers all
came off the board before the Bears were back on the clock. So
the Bears take Turner to bolster their pass rush.
Draft experts call Turner explosive off the ball, and that was
before he ran a blistering 4.47 second 40-yard dash at the
Combine. That type of speed opposite Montez Sweat should have
the Bears drooling. Turner’s not a one-trick pony, though. Watch
five minutes of highlights and you’ll see Turner win both by
running past blockers or running right through them. His
relentless pursuit of the ball is noticeable too, and the Bears
will love that. Even though he’s listed as an outside
linebacker, Turner has plenty of experience rushing with a hand
in the dirt, which is important to play defensive end in Matt
Eberflus’ scheme.
In 58 games with the Crimson Tide, Turner racked up 23.5 sacks,
33.5 TFLs and 117 total pressures. He was named a Chuck Bednarik
award finalist in 2023, which recognizes the top defensive
player in the nation.
TRADE! BEARS SEND JUSTIN FIELDS, 2025 FIFTH-ROUND PICK TO
FALCONS IN EXCHANGE FOR PICKS NO. 43 AND NO. 79
Last week, Adam Schefter shared that he believes Fields will go
for a package somewhere between what the Jets received for Sam
Darnold (second, fourth and sixth-round picks) and what 49ers
received for Alex Smith (two second-round picks). So I’ve got
the Bears recouping a second and third-round pick in exchange
for Fields and a future fifth (the fifth to make the mock draft
simulator happy).
NO. 43: DARIUS ROBINSON - DEFENSIVE LINEMAN - MISSOURI
The last time I mocked Robinson to the Bears, I had him going in
the fourth round. Since then, his draft stock has skyrocketed
thanks to strong showings at the Senior Bowl and the Combine.
There’s even been talk of him going in the first round. Here
we’ve got the Bears using a top-50 pick to add him to their
young defensive line.
Robinson prides himself on being able to play any position on
the line, from nose tackle to defensive end, and the Bears love
versatile linemen like that. He had nine sacks and 42 total
pressures in 2023 to go with a 17% pass rush win rate.
NO. 75: JOHNNY WILSON - WIDE RECEIVER - FLORIDA STATE
Whether or not the Bears and Darnell Mooney come together for a
next contract, the team needs to add playmakers at wide
receiver. If they could add a big target for their QB to
complement DJ Moore, even better.
Wilson is a big dude who measured 6’6” and 231 lbs. at the
Combine. His 84.5” wingspan was by far the longest among
wideouts. In fact, no other receiver topped 80”. Wilson played
second fiddle to Keon Coleman at FSU last season and caught 41
passes for 617 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. If there’s
a knock on his game it’s that he had several drops.
NO. 79: SEDRICK VAN PRAN - CENTER - GEORGIA
The Bears didn’t get enough out of their centers this year,
whether it was Cody Whitehair or Lucas Patrick, and protecting
their new QB will be paramount to the team’s success. Van Pran
was a three-year starter at Georgia, and per PFF he only gave up
one sack and one hit in 1,419 pass blocking snaps. Van Pran was
First-Team All-SEC and Second-Team All-American, and he was a
finalist for the Rimington trophy which recognizes the best
center in the country.
NO. 111: DADRION TAYLOR-DEMERSON - SAFETY - TEXAS TECH
The Bears need a rangy free safety with ballhawking ability to
replace Eddie Jackson in the back of the defense, and complement
Jaquan Brisker who is called upon to be a big hitter in the box.
Taylor-Demerson fits that bill and brings a touch of
versatility, too. According to PFF, Taylor-Demerson played over
half of his snaps at free safety last season, and about 40%
either in the box or in the slot. His tackling improved from an
18.7% missed tackle rate in 2021, to 17.2% in 2022 and finally
9.9% last year. Most importantly, he has a consistent track
record of takeaways. Since 2021, Taylor-Demerson intercepted 10
passes for the Red Raiders, forced two fumbles and recovered two
more.
NO. 123: COOPER BEEBE - GUARD - KANSAS STATE
Beebe could be another player to climb draft boards, like
Robinson did over the past couple of months. He’s also another
player who ticks all the boxes for the Bears. Beebe is an
athletic lineman– an absolute must for Poles. His unofficial
Relative Athletic Score is a 9.49 out of 10. That’s elite.
Further, Beebe has experience playing every position on the
offensive line except for center. For a team that needs improved
depth across the line, that versatility would be invaluable. In
49 games dating back to 2020, Beebe only surrendered five sacks
and 35 pressures per PFF. He won Big-12 Offensive Lineman of the
Year in 2022 and 2023.
NO. 143: TAHJ WASHINGTON - WIDE RECEIVER - USC
The Bears have looked for an explosive wide receiver for several
seasons without much luck. Tyler Scott could be that guy, but
didn’t have the type of rookie campaign to preclude the Bears
from adding another prospect who can take the top off of a
defense. Washington is more of a speed demon than either Moore
or Wilson, and was one of the premier playmakers in the nation
last season. His 86.7% catch rate on balls thrown 20 yards or
farther was the best mark in all of college football among
players with at least 10 targets. So was his 39.7 yards per
route run, and his perfect 158.3 QB rating when targeted on deep
balls. Washington was able to win even if he didn’t burn his
defender deep, too. He caught an impressive 75% of his contested
targets. In three seasons at USC and one at Memphis in 2020,
Washington caught 206 passes for 3,192 yards and 21 touchdowns.
His familiarity with Williams from their time together at SC is
a bonus.
#Post#: 488151--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: JACKIEJOKEMAN REDUX Date: March 4, 2024, 2:56 pm
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We need a quality decade starter CENTER to anchor the OL.
What round do we take said Center ?
#Post#: 488206--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: Sportster Date: March 5, 2024, 1:45 am
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If they're going with Williams, they've GOT to take a receiver
higher. He'll need plenty of targets to throw to.
#Post#: 488222--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: dallasbear Date: March 5, 2024, 10:12 am
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[quote author=Sportster link=topic=634.msg488206#msg488206
date=1709624753]
If they're going with Williams, they've GOT to take a receiver
higher. He'll need plenty of targets to throw to.
[/quote]
Even if they're not going with Williams they need WR help with
Mooney now a FA. WR class is deep (and fast after seeing the
results of the combine) but snagging one of the top 3 would be
nice. I expect the Bears to sign a couple WRs in free agency
but that 2nd first rounder could go WR or DE or possibly traded
down.
#Post#: 488225--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: Dave23 Date: March 5, 2024, 10:28 am
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Dane Brugler has an interesting post-combine at the Athletic
today…
HTML https://theathletic.com/5314966/2024/03/05/nfl-mock-draft-2024-jayden-daniels-quarterbacks/?source=pulsenewsletter&campaign=9171296&userId=138727
He has us taking Williams at #1, then trading #9, #75, and a
2025 4th rounder to the Chargers for #5 and taking Odunze.
Im not sure if that isn’t a little light to move up to #5…feels
like it is, though…
#Post#: 488227--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: vj Date: March 5, 2024, 10:39 am
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The Chargers are definitely aiming for a higher 2025 pick.
Nabers is talented as hell. But I guess Rome is a better fit
for the Bears across from D.J. and Scott if he stops dropping
the damn football. Still curious why Nabers and Daniels
declined the measurements unless they are going to do the BYoung
weight gain program prior to their Pro Day.
#Post#: 488228--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: JeffH Date: March 5, 2024, 10:43 am
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[quote author=Dave23 link=topic=634.msg488225#msg488225
date=1709656138]
Dane Brugler has an interesting post-combine at the Athletic
today…
HTML https://theathletic.com/5314966/2024/03/05/nfl-mock-draft-2024-jayden-daniels-quarterbacks/?source=pulsenewsletter&campaign=9171296&userId=138727
He has us taking Williams at #1, then trading #9, #75, and a
2025 4th rounder to the Chargers for #5 and taking Odunze.
Im not sure if that isn’t a little light to move up to #5…feels
like it is, though…
[/quote]
Here's a more realistic deal.
Chargers give:
#5, 2025 fourth round pick
Bears give:
#9, #75, 2025 2nd round pick
#Post#: 488230--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: Dave23 Date: March 5, 2024, 11:30 am
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Reading the comments in that mock, it sounds like the pick we
just gave Buffalo may have been in the original draft of the
story, and then removed after the trade went down.
#Post#: 488231--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: Dave23 Date: March 5, 2024, 11:32 am
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Also, for my money…I’m not sure that Malik Nabers and Brian
Thomas aren’t interchangeable.
Thomas was a beast when they came to Oxford last fall, and his
combine was very impressive.
#Post#: 488232--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2024 NFL Draft
By: boogie Date: March 5, 2024, 11:34 am
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Here's my latest insider mock draft after a week spent in
Indianapolis getting a feel for what the Bears are planning:
Round 1 (No. 1 overall via Carolina): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
The week at the combine only solidified the belief that the
Bears will take Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Williams is an elite passer with an elastic arm who can make all
throws from varied angles. He's a quick processor with quick
hands and quick feet who also has special playmaking ability
when he goes off-script.
The Bears still need to do some homework on those around
Williams to be comfortable that they have the infrastructure to
support him as the No. 1 overall pick. Their first meeting with
the USC star went well -- almost all combine interviews do --
and Williams was poised, polished, and confident in his meeting
with the NFL media.
"He's a franchise-changing prospect," one NFC scout told NBC
Sports Chicago at the combine. "Guys like Caleb Williams don't
often come around. They'd be foolish to pass on him. I don't
know if he's generational, but he's definitely the best
quarterback prospect to come out since [Andrew] Luck. What's the
debate about?"
No debate needed. Williams is the quarterback who will lead the
Bears into the future.
Trade
Bears receive: No. 20, No. 52
Steelers receive: No. 9, 2025 third-round pick
The best-case scenario for the Bears is for Rome Odunze or Malik
Nabers to fall to No. 9. I have a hard time seeing that happen.
If it does, I think the Bears will jump at the chance to grab an
elite pass-catcher. If all three top receivers are off the
board, the Bears can look to slide down and add much-needed Day
2 draft capital.
Poles moves down 11 spots and replenishes the second-round pick
he surrendered for Montez Sweat.
Round 1 (No. 20 overall via Pittsburgh): Adonai Mitchell, WR,
Texas
Size, speed, and ball skills, Mitchell has all the tools to
become a top-tier pass-catcher in the NFL. The Texas product is
still putting it all together, but he performed well at the
combine, posting a 4.34 40-yard dash with a 39.5-inch vertical.
Mitchell has an instance catch radius and is proficient in
breaking tackles and racking up yards after the catch. He has to
polish up his route-running, but he can become a top-flight wide
receiver if he puts the work in.
The Bears already have a true No. 1 receiver in DJ Moore.
Mitchell has the talent to be a good No. 2 receiver off the bat
with the potential to become a star.
Trade
Bears receive: 2024 third-round pick (No. 74 overall), 2025
fourth-round pick
Falcons receive: Justin Fields
The Bears plan to "do right" by Fields and move him once they
finalize their quarterback plan.
Multiple sources told NBC Sports Chicago that the Falcons have
already reached out to inquire about Fields. However, Fields is
not believed to be Atlanta's first option. The Falcons are very
interested in both Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield. The
Minnesota Vikings want to re-sign Cousins but don't plan to give
him fully guaranteed money.
I think Cousins will eventually land either in Minnesota or
potentially Las Vegas, and the Falcons will send the Bears two
Day 2 picks to acquire the Georgia native.
Round 2 (No. 52 overall via Pittsburgh): Roman Wilson, WR,
Michigan
The Bears have spent most of the last two drafts loading up on
the defensive side of the ball, and I expect them to polish off
their defense in free agency.
That leaves them with the freedom to stock the cupboard around
Williams with young, electric playmakers.
The Bears get their Z receiver in Mitchell but still have a need
for another pass-catcher.
In Wilson, the Bears get an explosive athlete with good hands.
Wilson has great post-catch acceleration and figures to be a
starting-caliber slot on Day 1.
With DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, Mitchell, and Wilson, Williams should
have all the weapons needed to have a smooth rookie season.
Round 3 (No. 74 overall via Atlanta): Sedrick Van Pran, IOL,
Georgia
The Georgia center reminds scouts of Lloyd Cushenberry. He has
strong hands, good quickness, and the special type of nasty that
the Bears prioritize in offensive linemen.
Even if the Bears sign a veteran center in free agency (with
guard versatility), locking in their long-term answer at center
in Van Pran is a good use of the extra third-round pick they
added via the Fields trade.
The Bears likely will sign a veteran center in free agency, but
for now, it's hard to pass up on Van Pran if he's available in
this spot.
Round 3 (No. 75 overall): Brandon Dorlus, DL, Oregon
The Bears have done well to add two receivers and a talented
center around Williams with their first four picks.
The defense can't be completely left out in the cold, though.
The whispers in Indianapolis are that the Bears will try to
swing big on a veteran defensive lineman this offseason, either
in free agency (Danielle Hunter, Christian Wilkins, Jonathan
Greenard) or trade (Haason Reddick).
Even if they hook a big fish, they are in need of depth and
versatility on the defensive line, especially after average
rookie campaigns for Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.
Dorlus has the length, quickness, and body control to be a good
pass rusher at the NFL level. He can play the three-technique or
play out on edge. Dorlus ran a 4.85 40-yard dash at the combine,
with a 9-foot-3 inch broad jump and a 10-yard split of 1.71.
According to Kent Lee Platte, Dorlus recorded a RAS of 9.08 out
of 10.
If it runs like a Bear and jumps like a Bear, it just might be a
Bear.
Round 4 (No. 111 overall via Philadelphia): Cade Stover, TE,
Ohio State
Kmet is an ascending tight end, but the Bears need a reliable
second tight end with Robert Tonyan hitting free agency.
Stover is a catch-first tight end with soft hands, good
run-after-the-catch ability, and basketball athleticism.
Stover needs to get a little nastier as a blocker, but he would
give offensive coordinator Shane Waldron a reliable No. 2 tight
end to trot out in the passing game.
Round 4 (No. 123 overall): Cooper Beebe, IOL, Kansas State
Beebe played both guard and tackle during his career at Kansas
State. He plays with great strength and power. He's a high-IQ
offensive lineman with a great motor.
Beebe ran a 5.03 40-yard dash with a 4.61 three-cone drill. His
9.7 RAS has him ranked 42 out of 1,434 guards to test since
1987, per Platte.
The Bears need versatile offensive line depth, and Beebe checks
a lot of their boxes.
Round 5 (No. 143 overall): Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
The Bears drafted Roschon Johnson in the fourth round last year,
and the Texas product had a so-so year as part of a running back
by committee with Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman.
Foreman is a free agent, and Herbert is entering the last year
of his contract.
Guerendo wowed at the combine, posting a 4.43 40-yard dash with
a 41.5 vertical and a 10-foot-9-inch broad jump.
Guerendo posted a RAS of 9.98. He has all the physical tools the
Bears covet and is a good and willing pass protector. Guerendo
has a good blend of size and agility. His 4.43 speed doesn't
always show up on tape. His one-cut-and-go burst isn't what
you'd expect from a guy with that speed.
The Bears believe Johnson will be a staple of their backfield
for the foreseeable future, but this could be Herbert's final
season in Chicago. Taking a fifth-round flier on a guy with
Guerendo's traits is worth the risk.
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