The Chicago Bears released their latest episode of 1920 Football Drive this week. This one covered the sequence of events between the scouting combine and the start of free agency in March. It covered their big acquisitions of Joe Thuney, Grady Jarrett, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman. However, the most intriguing moment came at the combine. During one moment in the Bears’ suite, GM Ryan Poles was caught talking with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen about a specific player.
Allen asks the GM where the team ranks “him.” Poles responded by stating high, perhaps the #1 or #2 prospect on the team’s board.
This immediately raises all sorts of questions. The most obvious is who they’re talking about. First off, the fact it’s Allen asking suggests it is a defensive player. People may say it is either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, the top two non-QB prospects in the draft. However, that doesn’t make sense. Allen wouldn’t bother asking about them knowing full well both will be gone within the top three or four picks. This has to be somebody the Bears feel has at least an outside shot of being there at #10.
Here is where the detective work comes in. If you rewatch the video, you’ll see a player being interviewed reflecting off the glass behind Allen and Poles. It is Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
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Dennis Allen seems to like the idea of Graham in Chicago.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. The Bears’ defensive coordinator has a long track record of preferring good interior pass rushers in his system. This was true of Sheldon Rankins and again with Bryan Bresee in New Orleans. Both were first-round picks. Graham is viewed by most as a top-10 prospect in this class. His great mix of strength, quickness, and nonstop motor allows him to constantly disrupt the opposing backfield. The big concern with him is size. He’s only 6’3 and 296 lbs. Some teams may not wish to use such a high pick on a player of average dimensions.
It appears neither Dennis Allen nor Ryan Poles have any such reservations. Rankins was also undersized when New Orleans took him. He still had 17.5 sacks and 44 QB hits in five seasons with the team. There is no reason to think Graham can follow the same path. He is the same caliber of athlete and excelled in big games for the Wolverines. Putting him, Jarrett, Montez Sweat, and Gervon Dexter on the same front would give Allen all sorts of chess pieces to move around.
Good time to be reminded: smallish (6’1″, 280 lb.), defensive player, high motor, won a bunch of college trophies Drafted 13th in first round, behind Jadeveon Cloney, Greg Robinson, Blake Bortles, and 10 others: Aaron Donald. Draftniks don’t do a good job of analyzing mentality of players: intelligence, attitude, determination, self-perception. Obviously, sitting on the sidelines, we can’t. But writers, GMs and coaches can. They always talk about the most obvious qualities available: Height, weight, numbers, maybe comments on game tape, but unless someone is a complete outlier (dwi, theft, fighting or robbing or rape), no word. The absolutely most… Read more »
RoosterRider thinks 10 equal 50. His math is as bad as his English. And now, he is hiding behind and name-dropping the smarter, but still ugly, Dreddog.
What a coward trying to play politics to gain support. Too bad he lost the 7th grade presidency vote and had to settle for assistant secretary of lunch hour. His offspring include the no-talents Napoleon Dynamite, Shia Le Bou, and Corey Feldman.
@Veece This is literally the only article I’ve ever seen calling Mason small. Not sure what the writer was thinking on this one. Not like they want him to play 1 tech. But honestly I think Mason could play 1 tech.
So who is the other 1 or 2?
Are you kidding me? ONLY 6-3 and about 300? Yeah, they said Aaron Donald didn’t have the size either at 6-0 and just 282 lbs. Look what he did!
Graham is a stud who has great burst, knows how to set up OL and use his hands, plus his motor is always going and all he does is produce! Look at tape! There’s your proof! He’s constantly in the backfield disrupting the play or tackling the RB or QB!
The Bears would be blessed to get him!