Mel Kiper Jr. Gives Out His NFL Draft Grades, Poles’ Work Continues, Zeke Goes Home, and Other Bears Bullets

Apr 29, 2024

Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?

Or do you just want to read the rest of Bears Bullets?

Patrick got the ball rolling this week with early grades from the Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft class. On the one hand, it is criminally early to hand out draft grades. But on the other hand, it is hard to not like what GM Ryan Poles did with the picks at his disposal.

I think Jason Lieser (Sun-Times) nails it with this sentiment:

“This will be a landmark draft for the franchise and a milestone in Poles’ young career, not only because of the talent he brought in with those top two picks but because he has his roster brilliantly positioned for this moment.”

There is so much hyperbole that surrounds the NFL Draft. However, this certainly feels like a potential turning point moment for the franchise.

Poles has successfully torn down the tattered remains of the old regime, cleaned up the salary cap situation, re-stocked the cupboard of draft picks, and made some nifty trades to go from cleaning up a mess he inherited in 2022 to building a winning franchise in 2024. Poles and the rest of the front office has put in a ton of grunt work. And Bears fans have had to take it on the chin emotionally throughout the process. But if their hard work pays off, then fans will look back on those tough days fondly (kinda like how I look back at the lean years of 2012-14 when Theo Epstein was running the Chicago Cubs).

bears gm Ryan Poles — (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Sure, the rookies will get a ton of attention right now. And rightfully so, mind you. We just finished the NFL Draft. Of course, the shine is still on that apple. But as Brad Biggs (Tribune) points out, the story is about a fully overhauled roster. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, tight end Cole Kmet, left guard Teven Jenkins, running back Khalil Herbert, kicker Cairo Santos, long snapper Patrick Scales, and reserve offensive lineman Larry Borom are the only players who remain on the team from the last Matt Nagy team we saw in January 2022. The Bears have come a long way (and so have we).

More from Biggs, who reports that the Bears have split from national Scout Sam Summerville. It feels like Summerville has been with this team forever. But this is the time of year where you start seeing shakeups in scouting departments, so perhaps more news like this is on the horizon. Stay tuned.

The Athletic’s Adam Jahns takes a trip in the way-back machine to unearth some Caleb Williams high school gems, which leads me to share some highlights from QB1’s prep days:

Some of Caleb Williams’ highlights from his time at Gonzaga College High School. #Bears
pic.twitter.com/EkguMlowZM
— Coach Usayd Koshul (@usaydkoshul) April 28, 2024

If you’re looking for a rookie to root for who isn’t on the Bears, then allow me to offer up Keon Coleman as an option:

New Bills WR Keon Coleman loves himself a nice little deal 😂🤝

(via @Matt_Bove) pic.twitter.com/vLfEYCFUjN
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2024

Every team needs to have at least one player who brings that kind of energy to press conferences.

Ezekiel Elliott is to Jerry Jones what that one ex you just can’t quit is to everyone else. The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back their one-time star rusher to round out the running backs room, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Zeke looked cooked last we checked. But maybe he’ll find the fountain of youth between now and Week 1.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss shares news that the New England Patriots and Christian Barmore are keeping their good thing going to the tune of a four-year extension worth up to $92 million. The deal includes $41.8 million in guarantees. Barmore, 24, is coming off a season in which he collected 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss, and 16 quarterback hits. Business is booming for interior defensive linemen this offseason. And it has me hoping the Bears have struck gold with rising second-year players such as Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens — or even Keith Randolph Jr., who went un-drafted this weekend and signed with the Bears.

What about Mel Kiper Jr. in the Hall of Fame? ESPN’s Matt Miller is pounding the table for the NFL Draft guru to get the call to Canton. As far as I’m concerned, Kiper should already be in the Hall of Fame. My Hall of Fame standard can be best broken down like this: Can you tell the story of professional football without this person’s contributions? If you can’t, then they should be in and we don’t need to further complicate that discussion.

For what it’s worth, Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Bears a B grade for their draft. You might be disappointed, but this is notable: The Bears filled each of Mel’s top four needs entering the draft by selecting a quarterback (Caleb Williams), edge defender (Austin Booker), wide receiver (Rome Odunze), and offensive tackle (Kiran Amegadjie). So what’s Kiper’s beef? That they didn’t have more picks. Fair. But also … what the heck, man? There is no team that is filling all of its needs in one draft. C’mon, now. Let’s be reasonable.

Worth sharing for future reference: Mel Kiper Jr. has nailed the Bears picks in each of the last three years. The streak began with Kyler Gordon, continued with Darnell Wright, and kept trucking along with Rome Odunze. Four years, if you want to count Kiper pegging Teven Jenkins to the Bears in 2021. There are a bajillion mock drafts out there, but maybe you should join me in giving Kiper’s mocks (specifically, that early-April mock that drops around the 10th) some more attention. Or don’t. It’s a free country.

This was a fun thing to read through: The Athletic’s Bears writers picked their favorite player from each team’s draft.

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Better late than never: The MLB uniform issues are finally being addressed. Even still … it is wild that Nike is taking the brunt of this heat:

REPORT: The MLB Uniforms Are Being Addressedhttps://t.co/NsDwuBwGa3 pic.twitter.com/7MNAnfoX9G
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) April 29, 2024

Candace Parker, who brought a championship to the city as a member of the Chicago Sky, announced her retirement on Sunday. (BN Bulls)

One of the greatest to ever do it in a Chicago Blackhawks uniform is celebrating a birthday today:

Happy 36th birthday to No. 19. The greatest captain in #Blackhawks history. https://t.co/drqJdGUIny
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 29, 2024

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Mel Kiper Jr. Gives Out His NFL Draft Grades, Poles’ Work Continues, Zeke Goes Home, and Other Bears Bullets

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