NEWSLETTER
There has been an obvious obsession from our end with what is going on in the trenches for the Chicago Bears.
Can you blame us? Not only has the team signed three free agents to bolster the defensive line and another guard to fortify the interior of the offensive line, it feels like they’ve been connected to every O-line and D-line prospect under the sun.
So why not add two more?
Auburn defensive end Derick Hall and Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones are next to join The List™️:
Considering the Bears’ needs on both sides of the trenches, I’m happy to add these names to the list of potential Bears draft targets.
Hall is a new name on our radar. And one I’m looking forward to digging into more between now and when the NFL Draft kicks off in eight days. He checks in at 6-3 and 254 pounds with 34 1/2″ arms. In other words, he checks the boxes in terms of size and length that you’d expect from a defensive end in the Matt Eberflus defense. The Auburn product ran a 4.55 second 40-yard dash, put up 33.5-inch vertical, and 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump. Impressive athletic feats for a guy set to play defensive end in NFL. Tacking on impressive workout numbers after a college career in which he was a two-time All-SEC player (first-team in 2022) make for an intriguing résumé.
I don’t think Hall is the type of player the Bears will pick ninth overall. In fact, ESPN’s draft day predictor (which we had fun with yesterday) has Hall going in the 36-88 range. Visually, this is what that looks like:
It doesn’t take much to have me envisioning Hall being a Bears Day 2 selection. And it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine Hall building his way toward being a Week 1 rookie starter. It won’t be easy. But it’s not as if there isn’t a path for Hall to get to that point. He might need to beat out an incumbent (Trevis Gipson) to get there. But I’m sure he’d be open to that challenge. Frankly, I’d be down to watch two defensive players battle in training camp for a starting role.
As for Broderick Jones, he’s been on our radar for a hot minute. The University of Georgia left tackle has the measurements (6-5, 311 pounds, 34 3/4″ arms) teams tend to desire. Plus he is coming off a collegiate career in which he built a strong résumé. Jones was part of two national title winners and finished his career earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2022. Chicago adding him to the lengthy list of offensive linemen it has shown interest in this offseason makes sense. Fortifying that side of the trenches has been high on the priority list since GM Ryan Poles’ arrival. Adding Nate Davis to the interior helps. But solidifying the edges via the draft would be a welcome sight.
For what it’s worth, Jones is a candidate to go ninth overall. And it is likely he’ll be on the board when the Bears go on the clock. Although, ESPN’s module has him at a less than 2% chance at going to the Bears in that spot. So I wouldn’t go predicting that’s a for-sure landing spot. Then again, the possibility of the Bears trading back and still landing Jones exists. That possibility intrigues me more than taking him ninth overall.
Wouldn’t it be something if that’s how the cookie crumbled? Picking a top-10 worthy player *AND* adding picks in the draft would be a dream.
