I Ran 3 Bears Mock Drafts, Here Are The Results
March 30, 2022, 12:57 PM CDT
First off I should give the website handle I used for these mocks.
https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator?ref=3a72f31d-98bc-46e8-86a7-bf5a090bd7ff
I highly recommend using PFF's site for your mocks. No I am not sponsored or anything, its just the most effective site I have found. And to be honest, with the grades they give guys like Roquan, I'm not a big fan of them, but I like their mock draft site. Anyways, I have ran three mocks over the last 3 days using their site. And today, I am going to present you with the results, and my reasonings behind the picks. Without further ado, lets get into this.
1st Mock:
Trade:
Bears get picks 43, 190, 213 from Atlanta for pick 39
R2, Pick 43: WR George Pickens-Georgia B
R2, Pick 48: G Dylan Parham-Memphis D
R3, Pick 71: LB Brian Asamoah-Oklahoma A
R5, Pick 148: CB Cordale Flott-LSU A
R5, Pick 150: T Zach Tom-Wake Forest A+
R6, Pick 186: HB Zonovan Knight-NC State A
R6, Pick 190: P Matt Araiza-San Diego State F
R6, Pick 213: S Brad Hawkins-Michigan B
Overall Grade: B+
With this first mock, I wanted to keep things simple. Just one trade in this one, getting three picks while moving down just 4 spots. I selected George Pickens first, as I believe he would be a good fit for us as a contested catch receiver. It's unfortunate he lost most of last year due to injury, but he is healthy now and he has surprisingly fallen out of the first round in many mocks. Parham should not be graded as a D, he is a solid guard who can fill a hole in our roster. Asamoah was the best available at this point in the mock, as a corner or lineman would be a big reach at this position. Flott fills a CB spot that we desperately need, as neither Kindle Vildor nor Marqui Christian are good enough to start. Tom being available feels like a steal, I could see him going in the 4th or even late 3rd. Knight gives us more running back depth, as we may trade Monty. Araiza was the best punter available in a spot where punter is acceptable to pick. Oh yeah, we need a punter. And Hawkins is a possible depth safety pick who could maybe develop into something. Solid mock to kick things off.
2nd Mock:
Trades: See Previous Article
R2, Pick 39: CB Jalen Pitre-Baylor A
R2, Pick 43: WR Skyy Moore-Western Michigan A
R2, Pick 48: T Abraham Lucas-Washington State B-
R3, Pick 71: WR John Metchie III-Alabama B
R5, Pick 148: T Zach Tom-Wake Forest A
R6, Pick 186: HB D’vonte Price-FIU A
R6, Pick 190: WR Bo Melton-Rutgers A-
R6, Pick 213: P Matt Araiza-San Diego State D+
R7, Pick 229: C Doug Kramer-Illinois B+
Overall Grade: A-
I like to call this mock, the “Draft of the Receivers.” I took three receivers, along with the DeVante Parker trade. Why did I do this? Well, Moore would be a good pick even with Byron Pringle here. Metchie would be a guy I would snag, because what if Parker didn’t work out? And Melton is a speedy receiver, and while he may not amount to much, we are looking for fast players. Pitre is listed as a corner, but he can also play safety, so he provides good versatility to a defensive back room where we need good depth. Abraham Lucas was the best O-Lineman available, and he could help out the tackle position should we move Larry Borom inside. Tom was once again available in this mock, so I took him as he can provide depth. Araiza and the punter hole is pretty explanatory. Lastly, Kramer would provide backup center depth should Poles not see Mustipher good enough for the team.
3rd Mock:
Trades:
Bears get picks 83, 124 from Eagles for pick 71
Bears get picks 206, 232, 2 2023 7th Round Picks from Broncos for WR Nsimba Webster
R2, Pick 39: CB Jalen Pitre-Baylor A
R2, Pick 48: LB Brian Asamoah-Oklahoma C-
R3, Pick 83: T Kellen Diesch-Arizona State B
R4, Pick 124: T Zach Tom-Wake Forest A-
R5, Pick 148: T Chris Paul-Tulsa A
R5, Pick 150: Cordell Volson-North Dakota State C-
R6, Pick 186: HB Zonovan Knight-NC State A
R6, Pick 206: P Matt Araiza-San Diego State D
R7, Pick 232: HB Sincere McCormick-UTSA B
Overall Grade: B+
This mock I have named, “Draft of the tackles.” I took four tackles in this mock, with the hopes that 2 of them could covert into IOL depth. Pitre and Asamoah have already been featured, so I won’t spend time on them. The first new selection was Arizona State’s Kellen Diesch, a player who could be a project but could work out with the proper development. Tom has been on all three mocks so far (forshadowing a future draft player profile analysis?). Chris Paul has played the most time at right tackle, but has spent significant time as a guard as well. Volson is also versatile, and could play a practice squad/weekly inactive role. Knight and Araiza have been covered before, and McCormick would play like a practice squad running back role.
So in conclusion, I think these are 3 solid mocks. The most realistic would probably be the first mock, as we spread our additions out to different positions. The most unrealistic would be the second mock, as the trades probably wouldn’t all happen and we wouldn’t draft three receivers. Number three is a bit more realistic as I could see us drafting 4 o-lineman over 3 receivers. Some players to watch are George Pickens, Jalen Pitre, Brian Asamoah, Dylan Parham, Zach Tom, and Matt Araiza. Also look out for a running back drafted. Tonight, I begin my draft analysis’ with a receiver from North Dakota State that was not available in any of my mocks.
George Pickens
In A Night Full of Trades, Ryan Poles Remains Patient
April 28, 2022, 10:36 PM CDT
The first round of the NFL draft has come to a close. What a night it was, many trades and plenty of surprising picks. Many wideouts and offensive lineman were chosen, including some surprises like Cole Strange, a player I thought would be available even at 71. However, instead of getting in on the action and trading into the first round, Ryan Poles remained patient and kept his draft picks. There is still plenty of talent in the draft available for picks 39 and 48. George Pickens is still available, so is Christian Watson, Roger McCreary, Logan Hall, and more. There will be plenty of opportunities for Poles to get talented players for this roster. And oh yeah, let's all laugh at the Packers for taking an ILB and DT with their first round picks, and not getting offensive weapons around Aaron Rodgers. We arguably have had the second best draft in the NFC North (behind the Lions) and we haven't even picked yet.
Ryan Poles
Bears Select 3 On Draft Day 2
April 29, 2022, 11:28 PM CDT
The Bears came into today with 3 draft picks. And they would keep all 3 picks and make selections to help improve this team. Using the 39th pick, we would select Washington CB Kyler Gordon. Gordon is an excellent corner, a man who probably could've gone in the first round. Even Poles said he was shocked Gordon was available, and when Gordon would come up on their simulations, he would say to ignore him as they didn't believe he would be available. In case you didn't know, Gordon is basically Washington's Sauce Gardner. No touchdowns allowed at Washington with only 2 penalties called on him. That is pretty good. Hopefully he can pair with Jaylon Johnson for a long time to come.
The second pick of the Bears draft was Penn State Safety Jaquan Brisker. Many are unhappy with this pick, as they were hoping we would take one of the big wide receivers available. However, Poles took the best available player. That being Brisker, and he fills a need for us immediately. We had a huge gaping hole as Strong Safety, and we have since Adrian Amos left. Ha-Ha and Tashaun Gipson filled short term, but now we may finally have our long term answer. As I am told by a Penn State fan, Brisker is very good. Which is useful for the Bears. I know many were upset, but this was a solid pickup by the Bears, and on paper our secondary has been rebuilt.
The final pick of the day was a bit of a head scratcher at first, but as the more time goes on, the more this man has grown on me. That man is Tennessee WR Velus Jones Jr. I think Velus is an excellent pickup by the Bears, and hearing Poles description on him makes me more satisfied with the pick. Poles said he wasn't going to compare him to Deebo, but thanks to Jones' 4.34 40, he is fast and versatile and can help in many different areas on offense and special teams. You may ask, "But Ethan, Velus is 25 years old. He can't be good." And to that, this was Velus' reply, "Age is nothing but a number. At the end of the day, I can play ball." Velus brings confidence, which I like. Being confident in yourself will get you better results. And considering Velus has plenty of talent, he can use his confidence to reach his maximum potential. While many may be upset, I think Velus may be a sleeper pick and could become a fan favorite this season.
Bears 2nd Round Pick Kyler Gordon
Velus Jones Jr Is Getting Too Much Hate
April 30, 2022, 3:36 PM CDT
I can't believe I have to write this. Last night, the Bears drafted Tennessee Wide Receiver Velus Jones Jr with the 71st pick in the 3rd round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Immediately, many people were upset with this pick. As the initial surprise of a player thought of as a reach, many have softened up to him. This came after Ryan Poles press conference, where he described the pick perfectly and helped Bear fans understand the selection. However, he is still receiving too much hate. But why? This man has done nothing wrong to Bears fans. After analyzing this pick a little further, I think this is a great selection. Poles didn't compare him to Deebo and Tyreek, but he did reference them. And I can see why. He is versatile, he can be used in many ways on offense. He has good speed, running a 4.34. He is able to get yards after catch and yards after contact, something huge nowadays. And he is a good kick returner. The thing many of these Twitter/Instagram GMs are using as argument is his age, 25. Sure, he may be an older rookie, but that doesn't mean he is bad. Heck, Terrell Owens is playing football at 48 years old in the Fan Controlled Football League. Kurt Warner didn't make his debut until he was 28, and he became a Hall of Famer. Age shouldn't put anything off from Velus, he is a good player. Some say his stats are bad. However, in his final season, Velus had better stats than George Pickens had in any year of his collegiate career. Velus is going to help this offense a lot, and it also sounds like Justin Fields had a say in this pick. So yeah, he will help out our offense a lot.
New Bears WR Velus Jones Jr
Bears Make Trades, Add 8 On Draft Day 3
April 30, 2022, 9:26 PM CDT
Ryan Poles promised to trade down and acquire more picks prior to the draft beginning. On the second day of the draft, he did not fulfill that promise. Today, he did. The Bears came into the day owning the 148th, 150th, and 186th picks. The Bears would wind up having the 168th, 174th, 186th, 203rd, 207th, 226th, 254th, and 255th picks thanks to the trades they made today. Specifically, they made 4 trades. First, they sent the 6th round pick we got in the Khalil Mack trade BACK to the Chargers in exchange for picks 254 and 255. These were made before the draft day began. Then, we gained picks 168 and 203 from Buffalo in exchange for pick 148. We gained picks 166 and 207 from Houston for pick 150. We then dealt 166 to the Bengals for 174 and 226. Finally, we made the first o our 8 picks with 168. Here is the full list of players selected today:
Pick 168: OT Braxton Jones - Southern Utah
Pick 174: DE Dominique Robinson - Miami Ohio
Pick 186: OL Zachary Thomas - San Diego State
Pick 203: RB Trestan Ebner - Baylor
Pick 207: C Doug Kramer - Illinois
Pick 226: G Ja'Tyre Carter - Southern
Pick 254: S Elijah Hicks - Cal
Pick 255: P Trenton Gill - NC State
These 8 players join Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, and Velus Jones Jr as part of the 2022 Chicago Bears draft class. But things aren't over yet. UDFA's will be signed. This team still has roster spots open. However, for now, Ryan Poles had a good draft. As I am writing this, the team has already signed a few UDFA's, and just now released QB Nick Foles. Tomorrow, I will begin releasing my breakdowns on each drafted player. For now though, its time to begin full analyzation and see who can boom, and who may bust.
Dominique Robinson - Pick 174
Draft Breakdown: Kyler Gordon
May 4, 2022, 6:22 AM CDT
The Bears did not have a first round pick in this years draft. They were left with just 6 picks to begin the draft. They wound up with 11 picks of new players. The first of which came on Friday night. With the 39th pick, and original pick of the Bears, we selected Washington CB Kyler Gordon. Some were happy with this pick originally. Some were upset we didn't take offense, but after some more research they were happy with it. I was happy originally, and I am still happy with this pick. Let's break down this selection of Kyler Gordon, and see why I think he is a good fit for the Bears.
The way I will do these breakdowns will be similar to how I ran my prospect analysis series. Using some stats and some film to help with these breakdowns. Let's start with some statistics. The most impressive stat is probably the fact that he did not allow a single touchdown over his entire college career. He did get some help playing alongside a 2022 first round corner in Trent McDuffie, but it is still impressive nonetheless. He also only committed 2 penalties in college, and penalties have been a problem for the Bears lately, so its good that our new corner doesn't get called on penalties often. Outside of these statistics, he logged 45 tackles, with 7 pass deflections, a forced fumble, and two interceptions. Because of Covid, his earlier numbers are skewed more than usual, especially with the Pac-12 playing the least amount of games of every conference that season. Statistically though, Gordon checks out. Now, does the tape confirm the stats, or does it say other things?
Tape review is probably my favorite part of breaking down these picks. It's where you get a sense of how a draft pick plays, gives you more accurate conclusions than just looking at statistics. Immediate observations of tape gives me him being good at positioning and keeping with his man. For example, Gordon runs a 4.52 40. Michigan WR Roman Wilson came out of high school running a 4.37. But when the two were matched up together, Gordon was able to come out on top, swatting the ball away from Wilson. As I continue to watch Gordon play, I continue to notice his positioning and awareness of where the ball is on the field. He is also solid a the run stop game, making multiple plays to keep opposing rushers from finding a hole into the endzone. Overall, I really like Gordon's game. I think Ryan Poles nailed it with this pick, as he now just got Jaylon Johnson's partner for the next 7+ years. A great first pick in your GM draft debut.
Kyler Gordon
Draft Breakdown: Jaquan Brisker
May 11, 2022, 9:45 PM CDT
With our 2nd pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, we selected Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker 48th overall. Now like the Gordon pick, a lot of people were shocked we went secondary, especially with back to back second round picks when many people were expecting a wide receiver. I for one, love this pick. Brisker was like Gordon in that he was lock down and didn't give up many scores. In fact, he only gave up 1 touchdown in his college career. Which makes just 1 TD allowed between our two second round picks. I think I've made my point with this introduction. But now, I will get into the statistics on Brisker and why he is a good pick.
Brisker played 3 years of college at Penn State. He got off to a quick start in 2019 with 31 tackles, 4 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. In 2020, he compiled 57 tackles, 4 PD, and added another interception. In his final season, he put up 63 tackles with 5 pass deflections, and picked off 2 passes. He did not have any sacks, but had 10 TFLs over the 3 years. Another statistic that can go along with that 1 touchdown allowed? Only 2 first downs allowed. 1 TD and 2 First Downs in 3 years is REALLY good. The Bears had problems late in games last year (Steelers, Ravens) holding the lead on defense and preventing first downs. The stats say Brisker will be a huge help there. Now, let's see if the tape says the same.
Immediately through my tape review session, I noticed that Brisker was effective in the run game, and was a guy who could make hits. His hitting ability helped force a fumble on a run in the game against Illinois, which Penn State defenders recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Although he never recorded a sack in college, he would bring pressure and force QBs to throw the ball away. In the game against Wisconsin this past season, Brisker made a clutch interception on 4th and Goal to secure a victory for Penn State. His positioning on that play, and on other interceptions of his, was great. Just overall, he fits the roll of a box safety we have not had since Adrian Amos left. He is a safety who can go up and get picks, knock balls away, and is also great in the run game and limiting runs. I absolutely love this pick, and I believe the Bears have their secondary for the next 7+ years.
Jaquan Brisker
Draft Breakdown: Velus Jones Jr
May 17, 2022, 9:49 PM CDT
This may be my most controversial draft breakdown yet. When the Velus Jones Jr pick was made, a lot of the fanbase freaked out. Many had never even heard of Velus before this selection. And for the Bears to make him their 3rd round pick? After they passed on guys like George Pickens and Alec Pierce earlier? Oh this was most definitely the worst choice of the draft. No no, it was not. And don’t even start the “Oh he’s 25 argument.” It doesn’t matter how old he is when he is drafted. What matters is how he plays. Just a forewarning, statistically he does not have the flashiest stats (although, he put up better numbers in his last year at Tennessee than George Pickens put up in any year at Georgia). But sometimes stats lie, but what doesn’t lie? Tape. Make sure y’all read the whole thing before basing your opinions off statistics alone.
So as I mentioned, Velus' stats, well they aren't great. His only big year of productivity was last year, and by the way last season was better than any season George Pickens had in college. He began his college career at USC in 2017, where he caught 6 passes for 46 yards. 2018 was an improvement, as he caught 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. In 2019, his production went back to year 1 levels as he caught 6 passes for 35 yards and no touchdowns. He then transferred to Tennessee, where he caught 22 passes for 280 yards for 3 touchdowns in a Covid limited season. His big production finally came last season, where in his last year of eligibility, Velus put up 807 yards on 62 catches for 7 touchdowns, adding 272 punt return yards as well on 18 punt returns, and also 628 kick return yards on 24 returns, one being a touchdown. He was also primarily used as a returner in his first 4 years, putting up 760, 483, and 704 at USC in his first 3 seasons as well as 398 in 2020 with the Vols. He brought one kickoff back for a touchdown at USC in 2019. Now, people may think Velus will primarily be a kick returner, and he will not be a good WR. Let me assure you, stats lie, but the tape doesn't lie. Continue reading and maybe go watch some Velus highlights for yourself before making your final decision.
So, what does Velus' tape show that the stats lie about? Well for one, Velus looks a lot more impressive on tape than on paper. One thing I noticed is Velus is able to create separation. And lots of it. he is a man who can get open in the redzone for touchdowns, doing that against Alabama and Georgia. His kick return ability is amazing as well, making plenty of moves to score on a return against South Alabama. His shiftiness is seen on catch and runs as well, using that ability on catches on the sideline and over the middle catches to gain plenty more yards than if he just went down. He fights to get extra yards against defenders to put his team in better positions to succeed. He is also a great punt return man as well. Overall, the tape tells me that the Bears nailed it with this pick. He may be older than normal but oh boy did we need somebody like this. Age won't matter if he can perform, and perform he can.
Velus Jones Jr