The Chicago Bears knew that without a 1st round pick going into the 2020 draft, they’d need as much information about every prospect in the class as possible. They have to be able to hit on their later picks if they want a productive April. That meant the Senior Bowl would be prime evaluation territory for them. It’s often considered the most important of any event, even more so than the scouting combine.
Word has filtered out constantly about them meeting with certain prospects. Odds are there are other names who haven’t been reported as well. The big question is who made the biggest moves up their board over the course of the week? While only they can definitively answer that, one can carefully surmise based on history and overall performance who the names are that caught their attention.
Here are a few that were hard to miss.
Senior Bowl served a big purpose for the Chicago Bears
Anthony Gordon (QB, Washington State)
The Bears aren’t going to draft a quarterback early in 2020. They just can’t afford to. Way too many needs elsewhere and a rookie quarterback won’t help them win right away. That said, there is no rule against them taking on a project with upside. Anthony Gordon of Washington State would be perfect for that role. He looked sharp in practices all week in Mobile and that carried over to the game itself where he engineered three scoring drives. He finished 8-of-12 for 69 yards and two touchdown passes.
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Darius Anderson (RB, TCU)
If one were to look at the stats Anderson produced in college, they wouldn’t be blown away. However, such a thing can be misleading. Especially for running backs. This was showcased on the field as he was a constant problem for the South defense. Not only did he run the ball for 43 yards, he added another 87 receiving with a touchdown. A versatile backfield weapon with quickness, agility, and speed. Not to mention underrated vision.
Devin Duvernay (WR, Texas)
One of the biggest assets the Bears have been missing on offense is receivers with after-the-catch ability. This is a true strength of Duvernay’s game that showed up constantly. He has a powerfully built lower body and plenty of speed to give defenses problems. What people weren’t sure about was whether he could learn to run proper routes. While there is still work to do in this department, he showed signs in practices all week that he absolutely can. He’s got the athleticism, the strong hands, and the toughness.
Bradlee Anae (EDGE, Utah)
It’s no secret the Bears need more help with their pass rush. Leonard Floyd has proven unequal to that task playing opposite Khalil Mack. So maybe Anae can fill that void. He certainly looked the part on Saturday. The South blockers had no answers for him as he delivered two sacks on the day. This after largely dominating his competition in practices the week prior. This reflects his time at Utah as he had 27.5 sacks and 38 tackles for a loss as a starter on defense. The kid is well-built, polished, and more athletic than he gets credit for.
Davon Hamilton (DT, Ohio State)
The North defensive front was a terror for much of the game. While the edge rushers garnered much of the praise, they got a lot of help from the big guys in the middle. One who had his fair share of flash moments was Hamilton. He got heat on the quarterback a couple of times and also helped do his job in slowing the South’s rushing attack. Stopping the run is his calling card but it’s clear there is some pass rush upside as well. Given his size (6’4, 311 lbs), he might make a fine addition to the Bears defensive end rotation.
A.J. Green (CB, Oklahoma State)
A true measure of respect from an opponent in regards to cornerbacks is not throwing in your direction much. After crushing practices all week for the South team, A.J. Green was targeted just once in the game by the North quarterbacks. It was incomplete and he had great coverage. The 6’1 kid looks the part of the NFL starter with a tall frame, long arms and fluid athleticism that allows him to hang with receivers down the field. It’s probably not a coincidence the Chicago Bears met with him already.
