Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen led a strong presence to the Michigan Pro Day, here's 5 prospects the Bears should consider
The NFL Draft is slowly creeping up and right now the big events are the Pro Days around the country and the individual Top-30 visits between the prospects and various teams.The draft itself is nearly a month away, which means time is quickly running out to gather as much intel as possible on these players […]
The NFL Draft is slowly creeping up and right now the big events are the Pro Days around the country and the individual Top-30 visits between the prospects and various teams.
The draft itself is nearly a month away, which means time is quickly running out to gather as much intel as possible on these players before coming to a consensus.
Last week, the Chicago Bears had a strong presence at the Michigan Pro Day, led by head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the first known attended Pro Day by the two this cycle. And that should be important.
Michigan has some top players in this draft, including three who could easy be selected inside the first 32 picks on opening night. The Bears are taking a close look at some of those guys, and here are five the team should really consider drafting in April.
Day One Options:
DT Mason Graham- This one is a no-brainer. Mason Graham has the talent to be a Top-5 player in this draft, and should be taken off the board within the top five picks. However, positional value (i.e. QBs) and desperate teams could push Graham down the board. Now, would he fall as low as 10th overall? That's unlikely but crazier things have happened in the NFL Draft.
Even if Graham stumbles down to say 6-7 overall, the Bears could even consider packaging some picks to move up a few pegs and snag him. Adding his level of talent to Dennis Allen's defense rotating alongside Gervon Dexter, Grady Jarrett, and Andrew Billings would give Chicago a killer interior unit.
CB Will Johnson- As far as the Pro Day goes, we weren't able to see Will Johnson work out yet again due to a hamstring issue, which is the only thing holding him back from solidifying himself as CB1 in this class.
Personally, I think the Bears are set at the position with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, and Terell Smith. But, if Dennis Allen feels differently about his second boundary cornerback, things could change. We'll know for sure what kind of interest the Bears could have if they attend Johnson's work out on April 14th.
Day Two Options:
DT Kenneth Grant- In the second-round, or even late in the first, keep your eye on the other Wolverine defensive tackle in Kenneth Grant. He's not quite on Graham's level but he's borderline a first-round talent depending on other teams' grades.
Say Grant falls into Day 2, the Bears hold the 39th and 41st overall picks in the second-round and could be anticipate Grant falling into their laps. Now, that might be wishful thinking, but there's still a lot to like about Grant's fit in Chicago, too.
DE Josaiah Stewart- As for a pass rusher off the edge, Josaiah Stewart is making a name for himself late in the process. After transferring to Michigan, Stewart's football IQ skyrocketed and he seems like a strong leader on a defense filled with them.
This could be someone that Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson, and Dennis Allen all fall in love with. He's a versatile pass rusher with strong character traits. He should be a lock to go off the board on Day 2, where the Bears have three different selections. But, they're not the only NFC North team potentially interested in him.
Day Three Option:
S Makari Paige- Last but not least, a new name joined the radar last week in Makari Paige as a late-round option. While the top names stole the show, Paige ran a really strong 4.45 40-yard dash time at 6'4, 208 pounds.
As a player, he's also a versatile defensive back and his athleticism was on full display during his Pro Day. The Bears showed some strong interest in the safety position at the NFL Scouting Combine, and digging more into Paige could be worth it.
Rising momentum could lead to Ben Johnson pulling off another Jahmyr Gibbs move with the Bears 10th overall pick
Should he considered a legitimate option?
