Most people are focused on the looming possibility the Chicago Bears will lock up the #2 overall pick in the 2023 draft. All they have to do is lose to Minnesota on Sunday with Nathan Peterman starting. Not difficult. They’d secure the #1 overall pick if Houston wins their game. There is a lot at stake. If things go as planned, the Bears will have a prime opportunity to change the direction of their franchise in April. However, the benefits won’t stop there. Another could come their way even sooner.
Greg Gabriel is a former scout and scouting director for the Bears. He’s been in the position of teams holding a top pick in the draft. He revealed for Windy City Gridiron that a recent rule change by the NFL would give Chicago a golden opportunity to get a leg up on other teams before the draft.
“While the Senior Bowl used to have full NFL coaching staffs coach each of the teams, the East-West now gets two full NFL team staffs. Right now, the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans will be the two staff involved…
…Having your coaching staff work with players for a full week is a great advantage going into the Draft. Underclassmen cannot play in All-Star Games by NFL rule, and the majority of the high-rated players are underclassmen. What this means is the team’s coaching will get an up-close look at many late Day-2 and all Day-3 type prospects. That is invaluable when it comes to draft preparation.”
If Poles is going to point this team in the right direction, he must hit on more Day 2 picks. He got off to a good start with guys like Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. He can and must take advantage of getting a chance to see so many prospects up close at the East-West Shrine Game.
It isn’t a secret this team has no shortage of needs. One could make the case they have holes at every position. So that week of work will be vital to their plans. The good news is the list of invitees to the event isn’t short on notable names. Here are a few Bears fans should keep an ear out for.
WR Zay Flowers (Boston College) – A terrific athlete with speed, quickness, and hands. He’ll be knocked for his modest 5’10 size, but the kid is a playmaker.
TE Payne Durham (Purdue) – He has the size (6’5, 255 lbs) and athleticism to threaten in the passing game. His 17 receiving touchdowns also illustrate this.
OT Quinton Barrows (Grand Valley State) – Big, strong, quick, and technically sound. Barrows plays far above somebody of his typical origin.
OG LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State) – He’s one of the most agile interior offensive linemen in this class and boasts 35-inch arms. So yeah, he’ll stand out immediately.
EDGE Viliami Fehoko (San Jose State) – There is no denying his production with 22 sacks and 44 tackles for a loss in the past three seasons. He boasts 4-3 defensive end size at 6’4, 260 lbs.
LB Ben VanSumeren (Michigan State) – Not many linebackers are 6’3 with a 40-inch vertical. He only started one season but was highly productive and showed steady progress.
