I think they value both more than the fans do. Great pick though again, Poles is gonna make me want to get Madden again.
I still think there’s a decent chance whitehair gets cut. They save like 10M+ if they cut him after June 1. Also I believe they’ll be very active in signing cap casualty free agents. They probably won’t find a center there but they can find a starting caliber edge rusher
Bleacher report gave both 4th rd picks an A. Said Johnson was the biggest thumper at RB and Scott was one of the fastest WR deep threats, 39.5 vertical too.
Ehh poles seems hyper interested in being efficient in cap spending, so if whitehair doesn’t look good at center, I don’t think they’ll have qualms about cutting him. I get your point that they won’t cut him simply for the saving, but there’s a reason whitehair was moved from center in the first place. They’re not going to force him into the role if it’s not working and I don’t think they’ll keep him on the roster if he’ll be a backup.
Outside of DE how active are the Bears gonna be after Vet cuts? Every other position group is mainly young dudes trying to prove their potential.
Guess went BPA vs need. Plus it's not like the defense doesn't need help lol Maybe they take a good center next year. It was a pretty weak class.
7. ROSCHON JOHNSON | Texas 6002 | 219 lbs. | 4SR Port Arthur, Texas (Port Neches-Groves) 1/31/2001 (age 22.24) #2 BACKGROUND: Roschon (ROH-shahn) “Shug” Johnson, who is the youngest of three boys, was born and raised in Port Arthur (southeast Texas) and started playing tackle football at age 7. He quickly established himself as a star running back and safety at the youth level until moving to quarterback at age 10 because he was the best player on the field. Johnson enrolled at Port Neches-Groves High School, where he was a three-year starter at quarterback (30-8 record). As a sophomore, he earned honorable mention All-State and District MVP honors with 2,318 passing yards, 1,650 rushing yards and 56 total touchdowns (26 passing, 30 rushing). Johnson again earned District MVP honors as a junior with 64.9 percent completions, 2,918 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, adding 1,627 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. As a senior, he was named All-State and All-District with 2,343 passing yards, 1,623 rushing yards and 50 total touchdowns (24 passing, 26 rushing). Johnson, who was also named an Under Armour All-American, finished his prep career as Port Neches-Groves’ all-time leading passer (7,710 yards) and rusher (4,900), finishing with 85 total touchdowns. He was a 4.0 GPA student and also lettered in track (relays and jumps). A four-star recruit, Johnson was the No. 6 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 29 recruit in Texas (highest-ranked quarterback recruit in the state). He collected scholarship offers from numerous high-profile programs like Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. But Johnson had the goal of earning a full-ride at Texas since he was young, and he committed to the Longhorns prior to his junior year in July 2017 (was the first commit of the Texas 2019 recruiting class). He graduated early and enrolled in Austin in January 2019. With Shane Buechele (SMU) and Cameron Rising (Utah) both transferring out of Texas prior to the 2019 season, Johnson was expecting to be a backup behind Sam Ehlinger and Casey Thompson. But because of injuries at running back, he transitioned to running back one week before the start of the 2019 season, which ended up being a permanent move. Johnson graduated with his degree in business administration (May 2022). He opted out of the 2022 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl but broke his hand during the first practice and missed the rest of the week. YEAR (GP/GS) 2019: (13/0) 2020: (10/1) 2021: (12/3) 2022: (12/1) Total: (47/5) CAR YDS 123 649 80 418 96 569 93 554 392 2,190 AVG TD 5.3 7 5.2 6 5.9 5 6.0 5 5.6 23 REC YDS 23 158 8 51 11 83 14 128 56 420 AVG TD NOTES 6.9 1 Enrolled in January 2019; Moved from QB to RB a week prior to the season 6.4 1 7.5 0 9.1 1 Honorable Mention All-Big 12; Bowl opt-out HT WT ARM HAND COMBINE 6002 219 32 9 5/8 PRO DAY 6003 225 32 9 5/8 WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP 76 7/8 4.58 2.63 1.54 31 1/2 10’2” - - - 77 1/8 - - - - - - - - (no shuttle, 3-cone, bench press – choice) (stood on Combine testing) 7.5 3 STRENGTHS: Big-boned, broad-shouldered athlete with proportionate bulk ... stout, physical runner to breeze through arm tackles ... forward finisher, lowering his pads and driving his legs through contact ... aggressively presses the line, but also shows patience behind lead blocks ... able to find cutback lanes ... can force missed tackles in the backfield with his lateral footwork ... his stiff-arm is unyielding ... enough speed to stretch runs to the boundary or out-pace pursuit ... only one career fumble ... dogged blocking chops, both in pass protection and as a lead blocker in “21” personnel ... shows functional receiving skills out of the backfield ... led Texas in special teams tackles (seven) in 2022 — played on all four coverages ... addicted to working and self-improvement (was pushing sleds around at age 8) ... benefited from the “older brother” theory — his desire to keep up with his older brothers on the field instilled competitive persistence in him at a young age ... vocal leader and beloved in the Texas program (NFL scout: “He was Mr. Accountability for that entire offense ... and our special teams staff is going to love him.”). WEAKNESSES: High-cut runner, and run style lacks fluidity ... inconsistent rhythm as a ball carrier and guilty of taking extra steps behind the line of scrimmage ... feel for run lane development runs hot/cold ... physical finisher but often uses too much forward lean at contact and sacrifices his balance ... primarily a screen target and unproven running a full route tree ... love his fight in pass pro, but must improve his ability to ID blitzers pre-snap (his communication with the offensive line must improve as well) ... suffered a broken hand (January 2023) during the first practice at the Senior Bowl ... averaged only 9.5 offensive touches per game in his career and wasn’t asked to be the featured back. SUMMARY: Primarily a backup at Texas, Johnson was a complimentary back in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s spread RPO offense. A high school quarterback, he moved to running back as a Longhorns freshman and played second fiddle to Bijan Robinson but embraced his role in the program and was a central part of the culture shift under the new coaching staff (Sarkisian: “What this guy brings every single day is pretty incredible. He’s so mature. Unbelievable work ethic. Awesome teammate...he’s got the utmost respect of everybody in our building, that is for sure.”). A stout, good-sized runner, Johnson is a two-way creator with his lateral cuts to elude tacklers and the forward momentum to power through contact. With his football character and ability on special teams and as a blocker, his impact without the football is almost as impressive as his ability with the ball. Overall, Johnson is high-cut and can be inconsistent with his run rhythm, but he is a quick-footed, physical ball carrier with valuable third-down skills as a pass-catcher and blocker. He should immediately upgrade an NFL team’s running back rotation and be a core special teamer. GRADE: 3rd Round (No. 91 overall)
Holy shit, look at this value. That’s exciting. 7. TYLER SCOTT | Cincinnati 5097 | 177 lbs. | 3JR Norton, Ohio (Norton) 10/12/2001 (age 21.54) #21 BACKGROUND: Tyler Scott, who has an older brother, was born in Akron before his family moved to Norton (just outside of Akron) when he was six years old. He started playing flag football at age 5 and also starred in basketball and track at a young age, sprinting in the Junior Olympics. He ran AAU track for the West Akron squad and was teammates with fellow Bearcats receiver Tre Tucker. Scott enrolled at Norton High School where he was a four-year varsity letterman and played multiple positions, mostly running back and defensive back. Injuries derailed his first two high school seasons, limiting him to six games as a freshman and only three games as a sophomore. In Norton’s run-focused offense, Scott had his breakout as a junior with 1,337 rushing yards and 24 offensive touchdowns (23 rushing, one receiving), earning second team All-State and first team All-District honors. He also had three kickoff return touchdowns of 91, 93 and 100 yards. As a senior, he rushed for 1,337 yards and 21 touchdowns, again earning All-State and All-District honors. Scott also tallied seven interceptions on defense. He was a standout shooting guard on the Norton basketball team and prolific in track. Scott set the program outdoor records in the 100 meters (10.68) and 200 meters (21.66). At the 2020 indoor state championships, he placed second in the 60 meters (6.77) and 200 meters (21.39) — both times ranked top-10 nationally. A three-star recruit, Scott was the No. 67 athlete in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 41 recruit in Ohio. His first offer was from Rutgers after his breakout junior season, followed by Cincinnati and Toledo. Scott added offers from Iowa State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Syracuse. He narrowed his choice to Cincinnati and Indiana before signing with head coach Luke Fickell and the Bearcats. A running back most of his life, Scott was recruited as an athlete but moved to wide receiver during his first season at Cincinnati, which was his first full-time season at the position. He opted out of the 2022 bowl game and skipped his senior season to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. YEAR (GP/GS) 2020: (10/1) 2021: (14/8) 2022: (11/11) Total: (35/20) REC YDS AVG 3 20 6.7 30 520 17.3 54 899 16.6 87 1,439 16.5 TD 0 5 2 9 7 Second Team All-AAC; Led team in receiving; 2-PT conversion; Missed one game (ankle); Bowl opt-out 14 10 DROP NOTES HT WT ARM HAND COMBINE 5097 177 30 7/8 9 PRO DAY 5101 177 30 7/8 9 1 WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP 72 3/4 4.44 2.56 1.50 39 1/2 11’1” - - - (no shuttle, 3-cone, bench press – choice) 72 1/2 4.37 2.47 1.62 - - 4.25 6.99 15 (stood on Combine jumps) [53] CONTENTS STRENGTHS: Boasts sprinting speed with three-level talent ... creates vertical push with the stem acceleration to loosen coverage ... gear change and short-area agility allow him to sell double moves or separate on comebacks and digs ... route break footwork got better with every game ... tracks the ball naturally over his shoulder while at full speed to be a true deep target (eight catches of 30-plus yards in 2022) ... above-average hand-eye coordination as a pass catcher and able to climb the ladder ... can see his running back background after the catch, out-angling pursuit or spinning out of tackle attempts ... was a regular on special teams, including as a gunner on punt coverage (200 snaps and six tackles over the past two seasons) ... missed only one game because of injury in his three seasons at Cincinnati ... his average touchdown catch in college was 44.6 yards. WEAKNESSES: Doesn’t have ideal size, build or length ... could use additional play strength ... needs to match the physicality of cornerbacks, and NFL press coverage will be a learning experience for him ... sometimes he secures catches through contact, other times he doesn’t ... mediocre catch radius hurts ability to make late adjustments and rescue throws behind him ... limited as an outside blocker ... missed one game as a junior because of a right ankle injury (October 2022); missed almost all of his freshman and sophomore years in high school because of injuries. SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Cincinnati, Scott was the X wide receiver (wide side of the field) in former offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli’s spread RPO offense. A high school option running back (he had “maybe 10 catches” in high school), he has been a quick study at his new position and led the Bearcats in receiving in 2022. Ranked top 10 nationally in track in high school, Scott’s explosive speed and sprint training have translated well to the vertical passing game and allow him to catch cornerbacks off balance with speed cuts or nuanced hesitation mid-route (all 14 of his career touchdowns went for 20-plus yards, averaging 44.6 yards per touchdown grab). Though he has promising ball skills, he doesn’t have desired size or play strength for the position, which limits his catch radius at times. Overall, Scott is a work in progress in a few coachable areas, but high-end speed and short-area suddenness allow him to consistently create his own separation. He adds immediate value as a gunner on special teams and has Tyler Lockett upside as a starting NFL receiver. GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 48 overall)
I think it’s right they think he’s an edge. 12. NOAH SEWELL | Oregon 6014 | 246 lbs. | 3JR Malaeimi, American Samoa (Orem) 4/26/2001 (age 22.00) #1 BACKGROUND: Noah Sewell, who is the youngest of five children (four boys, one girl), grew up playing football in a beach village in American Samoa. The family decided to move from the South Pacific islands to St. George, Utah, in 2012 when his father (Gabe Sr.), who coached high school football, started to experience chest pains and required additional medical care. Sewell enrolled at Desert Hills High School as a freshman and was teammates with his older brother (Penei). He was called up to varsity for five games as a freshman and posted 17 tackles, 1.0 sack and 1 interception. As a sophomore, Sewell played quarterback at Desert Hills and combined for 1,482 yards (848 rushing, 634 passing). After his mother was hired at BYU, the family moved to Utah County, and Sewell transferred to Orem High School for his final two seasons as a linebacker and running back. As a junior, he led Orem to the 2018 5A state championship with 103 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions, adding 694 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns (15 rushing, 3 receiving). As a senior, Sewell missed the first five games because of injury, but he still finished with 95 tackles on defense and 752 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns as Orem won its third consecutive 5A state championship. He was named the 2019 Utah Valley Football Player of the Year and first team All-USA on defense. Sewell finished his prep career with 224 tackles and 2,316 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. [227] CONTENTS A five-star recruit, Sewell was the No. 2 inside linebacker in the 2020 recruiting class (No. 13 overall nationally) and the No. 1 recruit in Utah. He became just the second consensus five-star recruit from the state of Utah, joining Haloti Ngata. Sewell received his first scholarship offer in the seventh grade (FCS Southern Utah) followed by his first FBS offer in the eighth grade (Hawaii). He collected more than 35 scholarship offers and narrowed that list down to his top eight of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas A&M. Sewell decided to follow in Penei’s footsteps and enroll at Oregon, where he was the second- highest ranked recruit in the Ducks’ 2020 class (behind linebacker Justin Flowe). He grew up in a football family: his older brother (Gabe Jr.) played linebacker at Nevada (2015-19). His older brother (Nephi) was an undrafted free agent linebacker out of Utah in 2022 and signed with the New Orleans Saints. His older brother (Penei) was an offensive tackle at Oregon and taken seventh in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. His uncle (Isaac Sopoaga) was a nose tackle at Hawaii, was picked in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft (No. 104 overall) and played 11 seasons in the NFL. His uncle (Richard Brown) played 10 seasons in the NFL at linebacker. Sewell is also very close with his mother (Arlene) and older sister (Gabriela). He elected to skip the 2022 bowl game and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES 2020: (7/5) 2021: (14/14) 2022: (12/12) Total: (33/31) 45 6.5 2.0 114 8.5 4.0 56 5.5 1.5 215 20.5 7.5 1 0 0 2 6 1 0 5 1 3 11 2 Freshman All-American; Pac-12 Freshman Defensive POY; Led team in tackles; Enrolled in January 2020 First Team All-Pac 12; Led team in tackles Second Team All-Pac 12; 1 rush TD (first Ducks’ defender to score an offensive TD since 1996); Bowl opt-out HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6014 246 31 5/8 10 76 3/8 4.64 2.68 1.56 33 9’7” - - 27 (no shuttle or 3-cone – choice) PRO DAY 6015 247 31 5/8 9 7/8 77 - - - - - 4.37 7.28 - (stood on Combine runs, jumps, bench) STRENGTHS: Stout, powerfully-built athlete ... meets blockers with firm, strong hands and knocks back tight ends at contact ... patient run fits and his eyes play beyond the blocker ... displays open-field control as a tackler ... explodes into ball carriers to create immediate stopping power ... head-to-toe strength to finish fingertip tackles ... functional range between the tackles ... moves with enough lateral quicks to mirror and flatten down the line ... earned his degree in delayed A-gap blitzes in college ... does his job as a low-hole cover defender ... allows the eyes of the quarterback to lead him to passing lanes ... NFL scouts have zero questions about his competitive nature or toughness as he often played through minor injuries (didn’t miss a game due to injury in college). WEAKNESSES: Average speed by NFL standards and lacks sideline-to-sideline range ... doesn’t play with suddenness in his reactions ... physical hands, but spends too much time hand-fighting and needs to punch off contact more quickly ... his eyes get stuck between blocker and ball, making him late to react to both ... inconsistent break down vs. elusive athletes and can be juked in space ... doesn’t have the speed or feel for steady helpings of man coverage ... the more ground he has to cover vs. the pass, the more he struggles ... not a creative blitzer and he didn’t look as explosive in 2022 compared to his underclassman tape ... tackle production was cut in half between his sophomore and junior seasons. SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Oregon, Sewell played MIKE linebacker in head coach Dan Lanning’s 3-4 base scheme. He was physically ready for big-time college football the moment he arrived in Eugene and quickly stepped out of his older brother Penei’s shadow, leading the Ducks in tackles as a freshman and sophomore. However, he lacked the same energy and on-field impact as a junior and wasn’t the team’s leading tackler in any game in 2022 (had six games of 10-plus tackles in 2021 compared to zero in 2022). Sewell is a thick, powerful backer with the point-of-attack strength to fill, stack and strike. However, his reactionary athleticism and play range are mediocre, and he struggles to consistently stay ahead of both run and pass plays. Overall, Sewell doesn’t have the tape of a modern-day playmaker with clear limitations in man coverage, but he thumps downhill with the physicality, pedigree and competitive spirit to make plays between the tackles. He projects as a rookie backup who can become a valuable role player – off-the-ball on early downs and rushing off the edge on passing downs. GRADE: 4th-5th Round 13. SIRVOCEA DENNIS | Pittsburgh
18. TERELL SMITH | Minnesota 6004 | 204 lbs. | 5SR Snellville, Ga. (South Gwinnett) 7/27/1999 (age 23.75) #4 BACKGROUND: Terell Smith, who is one of two children (has a sister), enrolled at South Gwinnett High School and played both ways as a wide receiver and cornerback. After carving out a role on varsity as a sophomore, he was one of the program’s best players as a junior, posting four receiving touchdowns, two interceptions and a punt-return touchdown. As a senior, Smith earned first team All-Region honors with 23 tackles (two for loss), five passes defended and two interceptions, adding 10 receptions for 352 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a prolific track career in high school. Smith won the Georgia state championship in the 100 meters (10.39) as a junior and the 200 meters (21.26) as a sophomore. He set a personal best in the 100 meters (10.32) and the 200 meters (20.84), which was the fifth-best time in the country. A three-star recruit, Smith was the No. 67 cornerback in the 2018 recruiting class and the No. 70 recruit in Georgia. He collected more than a dozen Power 5 offers, including Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Ole Miss, Virginia and West Virginia. Smith developed a connection with head coach P.J. Fleck and his Minnesota staff and committed in March of 2017. Over the next few months, he added offers from Florida, Michigan State and Notre Dame, and Fleck was worried Smith would jump at another opportunity. However, he stayed true to his commitment and signed with Minnesota during the early signing period. Smith took advantage of the extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic and returned to the Gophers for his fifth season in 2022. He accepted his invitation to the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl. YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES 2018: (11/9) 2019: (9/0) 2020: (5/0) 2021: (10/7) 2022: (13/13) Total: (48/29) 43 2.0 0.0 9 0.0 0.0 3 0.0 0.0 16 0.0 0.0 38 4.5 2.0 109 6.5 2.0 0 9 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 7 2 1 20 4 Led team in PD; Missed two games Missed four games Missed two games Missed final three games Led team in PD HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE 6004 204 32 7/8 9 76 3/4 4.41 2.52 1.50 34 10’0” 4.30 7.02 14 PRO DAY 6003 205 32 7/8 9 1/8 77 1/8 - - - - - 4.34 7.00 - (stood on Combine runs, jumps, bench) STRENGTHS: Impressive size/speed athlete with long arms ... accomplished track athlete whose long strides show when carrying verticals, making up ground and when driving underneath ... light-footed to stay composed with twitchy releases ... utilizes his length to challenge at the line, forcing receivers to run laterally and avoid his jam ... uses the sideline to his advantage to pin and restrict windows ... decent hands to finish interceptions when in position ... squares and drives as a tackler with force behind his pads and engulfing arms that help him hug to finish ... declares his leverage when taking on blocks and uses physicality to detach from blockers ... flashed blitzing skills on 2022 tape. WEAKNESSES: Moves with a tall center of gravity, which can hinder his transition quickness ... inconsistent finding and making plays on the football ... needs to read receivers better with his back to the line of scrimmage ... puts examples of route anticipation on film, but it isn’t a strength of his game yet ... needs to exhibit better patience — will get grabby versus sudden receivers (two pass interference penalties and one holding call in 2022) ... will turn 24 before his first NFL training camp ... wasn’t a full-time special teams player in college ... missed multiples games because of injuries in four of his five seasons with the Gophers. [259] CONTENTS SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Minnesota, Smith was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s mixed coverage scheme. After making a splash as a true freshman for the Gophers, he was lost in the wilderness for a few years before producing his best season as a senior, leading the team in passes defended. Smith has impressive top-end speed and foot quickness that allows him to stay attached to routes, although his mirror transitions can get clunky at times. His matchup against Charlie Jones on the 2022 Purdue tape was a great example of what he does well and where he still needs to improve. Overall, Smith can be baited off course and leaves too much production on the field, but he has an intriguing blend of length, speed and physicality to match up with NFL receivers on the outside. He is a physical press-man corner prospect. GRADE: 4th Round
Following the Bears bc Chiefs draft is kinda boring. They don't have a lot of picks, and limited amount of roster spots. Taking high upside guys vs having a lot of needs and not having the draft capital to make big moves.
They had a scouting guy on the score Saturday and he said he saw the dexter pick coming a mile away. Ryan poles was head of college scouting in KC in 2016 when they took a 6’6 310 lbs DT with short arms and a sub 5 second 40 who underperformed in college at 37. They running physical comps on every player in the draft and dexter came out as the identical match of Chris Jones
I like the dude. Follow him on Twitter but he gets swept up in the moment. Especially when the Bears take a guy he thinks are sleepers. kicker is inconsistent but has a monster leg. He went undrafted because of the former.
Yea the dude practically cried when Mack was traded It's hard to predict how college kickers will translate. This guy could be great, but his thread was phrased oddly.
I won’t pretend to have watched him kick in college, but I did read somewhere yesterday that he had to speed up his kicking process junior/senior year(s) because cuse’s line sucked and it caused some decreased accuracy. He was way more accurate his earlier years in school so there may be something to that
Also, I brought this up last year but I don’t have a ton of interest in rostering a kicker than can barely hit from 52, no matter how accurate he is.
Justin Tucker's college stats weren't much different than this guy's It's hard to tell who will stick in the NFL. So much of it is mental.
Hoge said somewhere that they told him broad jump and vertical were the 2 most important tests they look at.