Official NFL Draft Thread - Bear Fans ONLY - NFL Scouts had Banks as a top ten prospect at OT

[DefNextYear]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with Jalon Walker since he can be used in a variety of ways. Walker could be the guy that Floyd was supposed to be when he was here (what he became after he left).

I almost irrationally like Walker a lot… feels like a crazy pick, but I just feel like he’s a special player. I think his status will rely heavily on what he does when he finally has his pro day.

 

[maxhatter]

He’s not an off the ball linebacker. He’s a very versatile edge OLB who could fit in Allen’s scheme as Allen mixes up his personnel groupings.

I don't think he fits Allen's scheme. Can you name a similar player on any of his defenses?

 

[msadows]

I don't think he fits Allen's scheme. Can you name a similar player on any of his defenses?

He "blitzes" his linebackers a lot(Only sends 4, but makes a DE drop), so he certainly would be a good fit as well playing SAM/EDGE hybrid.

Why most of the linebackers in allen's schemes typically have decent sack counts

 

[playthrough2001]

Watched some old Cedric Benson highlights. Reminds me of him. Do with that what you will

That makes me a little sick.

 

[bamainatlanta]

I don't think he fits Allen's scheme. Can you name a similar player on any of his defenses?

Lol. You’ve never heard of Khalil Mack who rotated between OLB & Edge? Sorry bro.

 

[maxhatter]

He "blitzes" his linebackers a lot(Only sends 4, but makes a DE drop), so he certainly would be a good fit as well playing SAM/EDGE hybrid.

Why most of the linebackers in allen's schemes typically have decent sack counts

But they don't, and that's not his defense. He tends to blitz safeties and cornerbacks. He primarily plays with only two linebackers. For example: Alex Anzalone, 4 years, four sacks (1 per season). Zack Baun, 4 years, two sacks (1/2 per season). Pete Werner, 4 years, zero sacks. Demario Davis, 7 seasons, 31 sacks (4.2 sacks per year). The one outliner is Davis, but he's an inside linebacker who has blitzed the middle. He doesn't value outside linebackers.

 

[maxhatter]

Lol. You’ve never heard of Khalil Mack who rotated between OLB & Edge? Sorry bro.

Except that Mack played defensive end in Allen's defense and outside linebacker in Jack DelRio and Ken Norton's defense when they moved him to outside linebacker in a 3-4. So if you're going to make an argument at least be accurate

 

[DefNextYear]

Lol. You’ve never heard of Khalil Mack who rotated between OLB & Edge? Sorry bro.

I would try to use him exactly like that… he’s essentially the same size as Micah. Micah is pretty rare though.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

but swift aint no thomas jones lol

Definitely not

 

[pseudonym]

I think Denver will grab him if he’s available at 20.

I think you're probably right.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Except that Mack played defensive end in Allen's defense and outside linebacker in Jack DelRio and Ken Norton's defense when they moved him to outside linebacker in a 3-4. So if you're going to make an argument at least be accurate

Khalil Mack Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Khalil Mack. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Listed as RLB. Also STFU. Thanks.

 

[pseudonym]

I wonder how many players will get drafted that we haven't even talked about? LOL. Hopefully none in the first three rounds.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Oakland Raiders release depth chart: James Jones two-deep at receiver

The Oakland Raiders released their first depth chart of the preseason on Aug. 4. James Jones is listed as a second-string receiver, behind Rod Streater and

www.si.com

 

[bearsfan1977]

He’s not an off the ball linebacker. He’s a very versatile edge OLB who could fit in Allen’s scheme as Allen mixes up his personnel groupings.

I’d rather they take Grant.

Walker is a crazy athlete, he really is. Very versatile and can blitz, line up on the edge or drop in coverage. This is just my opinion, but when watching him play, I don’t think he’s elite in any of the things I just listed. Now, I think a lot of it may be due to being raw and needing more snaps and coaching to improve his technique and feel for the game. But if he hits, his ceiling is sky high. If not, well, hopefully he will be a pretty solid player and not the end of the world.

Did you see how Grant tested at his pro day? He will be a force on the DL for a decade and is definitely worth a top-10 pick, imo.

I am in the minority that think Graham benefited more from being next to Grant than Grant benefited from being next to Graham.

 

[dabears70]

But they don't, and that's not his defense. He tends to blitz safeties and cornerbacks. He primarily plays with only two linebackers. For example: Alex Anzalone, 4 years, four sacks (1 per season). Zack Baun, 4 years, two sacks (1/2 per season). Pete Werner, 4 years, zero sacks. Demario Davis, 7 seasons, 31 sacks (4.2 sacks per year). The one outliner is Davis, but he's an inside linebacker who has blitzed the middle. He doesn't value outside linebackers.

Yeah i think Kyler Gordon is going to have a big year for Allen.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

Can someone confirm this date is accurate? Trying to confirm when the draft is. Thanks.

April 1st.

 

[playthrough2001]

Brashard Smith of SMU has a top 30 with the Bears.

SMU running back Brashard Smith to visit Texans, Vikings, Bears as well as locally with Cowboys

SMU running back to visit Texans

www.click2houston.com

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1884324456413409680

SMU RB/WR Brashard Smith Visiting Four Teams

SMU RB Brashard Smith told Josh Tolentino at his pro day that he has official visits upcoming with four teams. That list includes the Cowboys, Texans, Vikings and Bears. Smith's visit with Dallas will not

nfltraderumors.co

 

[playthrough2001]

Pro Days/Private Workouts

UCLA LB Joe Vaughn met with the Bears at his pro day. (Aaron Wilson)

Georgia LB Jalon Walker met extensively with the Bears at Georgia’s pro day. (Tony Pauline)

Combine Formal Interviews

LSU OL Will Campbell said he had a formal Combine interview with the Bears. (Adam Rank)

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty had formal Combine interviews with ten teams, including the Bears. (Ryan Fowler)

Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams had a formal Combine interview with the Bears, per Zack Pearson.

Texas TE Gunnar Helm had formal Combine interviews with seven teams, including the Bears. (Mike Klis)

Virginia Tech DB Dorian Strong had formal Combine interviews with four teams, including the Bears. (Devin Jackson)

Iowa State CB Darien Porter had formal Combine interviews with six teams, including the Bears. (Tom Downey)

Oregon DT Jamaree Caldwell had a formal Combine interview with the Bears. (Tom Downey)

Texas S Andrew Mukuba had a formal Combine interview with the Bears. (CJ Vogel)

Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo had formal Combine interviews with four teams, including the Bears. (Justin Melo)

Iowa S Sebastian Castro met with the Bears at the Combine. (Nicholas Moreano)

The Bears had a formal meeting with Texas DT Alfred Collins. (Ryan Fowler)

Chicago met with North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton at the combine. (Nicholas Moreano)

LSU OT Emery Jones had a formal Combine interview with five teams, including the Bears. (Tom Downey)

Ohio State OL Donovan Jackson had a formal Combine interview with the Bears. (Tom Downey)

LSU TE Mason Taylor had a formal Combine meeting with the Bears. (MLFootball)

Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo said he had a formal Combine interview with the Bears. (Bo Brack)

Alabama G Tyler Booker said he met with the Bears at the Combine. (Nicholas Moreano)

North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel had a formal meeting with the Bears at the Combine. (Nicholas Moreano)

All-Star Circuit

Memphis WR Roc Taylor met with a long list of teams at the Hula Bowl, including the Bears. (Ryan Fowler)

Virginia Tech WR Ali Jennings met with the Bears, among other teams, at the Hula Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)

Iowa LB Nick Jackson met twice with the Bears at the Hula Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)

Wisconsin LB Jaheim Thomas met with the Bears at the Hula Bowl, among other teams. (Ryan Fowler)

Colorado DE BJ Green II met with the Bears at the Hula Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)

Louisiana Monroe CB Car’lin Vigers met with several teams at the Hula Bowl, including the Bears. (Ryan Fowler)

West Virginia OLB Ty French met with the Bears at the Tropical Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)

Boston College RB Treshaun Ward met with a long list of teams at the Tropical Bowl, including the Bears. (Ryan Fowler)

Miami DE Elijah Alston met with the Bears at the Tropical Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Visit Tracker

We will be tracking pre-draft meetings with prospects for teams ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft set to start on Thursday, April 24. Be sure to check back here throughout the offseason for updates to

nfltraderumors.co

 

[playthrough2001]

They start talking Bears and the draft at 8:00 minutes.

Rollins said he met Mykel Williams at a Lakers game by chance. He told Williams he needs to come to Chicago and Williams told him he’d love to play here.

 

[playthrough2001]

Biggest team needs after Free Agency per The Athletic:

“Chicago Bears

The Bears added five new starters up front this offseason: guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, center Drew Dalman, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. Adding a draft pick or two will also improve the trenches.

The depth at linebacker and safety now stands out. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Kevin Byard are entering the final years of their contracts, while there is an affordable exit point in linebacker Tremaine Edmunds’ deal after 2025. Safety Jaquan Brisker has a history of concussions. Addressing both positions in the draft makes sense. — Adam Jahns

Detroit Lions

What the Lions do at the edge spot opposite of Aidan Hutchinson remains a question. They released veteran Za’Darius Smith — whom they traded for ahead of the deadline after Hutchinson went down — earlier this month. They re-signed Marcus Davenport, the current projected starter, but he’s played just six total games the last two seasons.

A team with Super Bowl aspirations should not count on Davenport to play a starter’s workload and stay healthy over the course of 17 games and the playoffs. The rest of the edge room consists of rotational pieces and depth. The Lions usually address needs in free agency so they don’t have to draft for need, but unless Detroit adds a starting-caliber edge before then, it should be a real priority next month. — Colton Pouncy

Green Bay Packers

The future of Green Bay’s best cornerback, Jaire Alexander, remains uncertain. My guess based on what I’ve heard is still that he doesn’t play for the Packers in 2025. Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell have signed elsewhere in free agency.

The Packers brought in Nate Hobbs from the Raiders and still have Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine (Packer fans won’t be thrilled if that’s the top three), but their need for depth at the position is glaring. You could argue wide receiver is a more pressing need since they’ll be without Christian Watson for at least the first half of the season, but cornerback might be atop the priority list entering the NFL Draft in Green Bay next month. — Matt Schneidman

Minnesota Vikings

The difficulty in trying to answer this question reflects how successful a free-agent period the Vikings had. They added two interior offensive linemen (Ryan Kelly and Will Fries). They revamped the interior of their defensive line (Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave).

They kept high-end cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. They enhanced their running back room (Jordan Mason). Minnesota still needs a backup quarterback. The cornerback room could use more depth. For now, though, the most glaring question mark is at left guard. The Vikings could opt for Blake Brandel or Walter Rouse, but they could also use the draft to fortify this spot. — Alec Lewis”

All-32: Each NFL team’s biggest remaining need after 2025 free agency

Our NFL writers explain what each team still needs as the late stages of NFL free agency continue and the draft approaches.

www.nytimes.com