The Chicago Bears have their representatives down in Mobile, Alabama. Everybody is eager for the Senior Bowl week to begin. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will get his first taste of head coaching as he takes over the American team roster. It offers a golden opportunity for him and the Bears to look closely at some of the top prospects in the 2023 draft. While the actual drills and game will be ongoing for the next several days, there have already been some eye-opening revelations.
Head coach Matt Eberflus said measurables would play a key part in the roster-building process for Chicago. He was a fast, athletic, and long team. He is a big believer in length. That isn’t a shock after watching several players he coached in Indianapolis, like DeForest Buckner and Shaq Leonard. It is reasonable to presume he’ll have eyes on the weigh-ins before the Senior Bowl. If so, he wasn’t disappointed. Several prominent names came away with numbers that should excite the organization.
Chicago Bears already have some good names to keep tabs on.
Everything about Wicks is solid. He’s above 6’0 and 200 lbs, with big hands and above-average arm length for a wide receiver. This reflects in his tape. He can go up and get the football when required and has the strength to run through tackles after the catch. His goal at the Senior Bowl is to showcase whether he has enough speed and route-running prowess to complement those positives.
Everything about Torrence is big, from his 6’4 height to his 330 lbs frame. Even his hands are gigantic. Where it’s really surprising is the arms. Guards typically hover around 32 inches in length. Torrence is barely shy of 34. That is very good length for that position. He’s known for being a powerhouse in the running game and is impossible to bull rush. The concerns center around his athleticism.
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Lincoln Riley leaving for USC was a tough break for Morris.
If the coach had stayed, the big tackle would likely be talked about more. He has the size and some of the longest arms in the draft. It shows in his tape. Morris locks up pass rushers and mauls in the ground game. The problem is he’s inconsistent. There are several technical issues he has to get cleaned up.
McDonald was a terror for Iowa State over the past three years, racking up 27 sacks, 33.5 tackles for a loss, and eight forced fumbles. He has athleticism, power, and a hot motor. Now we know he also has exceptionally long arms. Luke Getsy and the Bears will love that. The big question is whether he can add some weight. It’s hard to play defensive end at only 240 lbs.
Brents is a physical specimen. Few cornerbacks reach 6’3 height and he adds to it with his exceedingly long 33 6/8 arms. Most at that position hover around 31. It shows on the field. Brents had a breakout year for Kansas State with four interceptions. Teams will also love his physicality against the run. He must show whether he has enough speed to handle the better wide receivers in Mobile.
A player can have all the measurables in the game, and not one is worth a snowballs chance in hell if you can’t the play the game vs the best of the best in the NFL.
Yeah, “length” is fine — but: “Can he play?” is the pivotal question.
Remember, Julien Davenport has the 16th longest arms of any NFL player, ever measured.
Where’s he at, these days?
Surprised Dawand Jones wasn’t on the list
DeMeco Ryans is the new coach of the Texans. This could change things. They could definitely take Anderson at 2 and wait till 12 to select a quarterback. He just watched a seventh round quarterback take his team to the conference championship while their #3 overall was on the bench. This could get very interesting.