Monsters Of The Midwest

Q: Do you think Chase Claypool will make a big enough impact to help the Bears win some games this year? 

A: I think he could bring a nice element to this offense. The problem with winning games isn’t the Offense, it’s the Defense. Chase Claypool brings the size and speed element the Bears were missing. I’d like to get some more 50-50 balls to Claypool. 

Q: What percent of snaps do you see Chase Claypool playing next week? 

A: First game he was at 35 percent of snaps. Second game it dropped a little to 31 percent. Getsy and co, have continuously said that this offense requires a lot from the receivers. Claypool is into his 3rd week of this new offense. I expect him to get around 50 percent. 

Q: I can’t decide if edge or O-line should be the first need addressed in the draft. Do you like one or the other with the Bear’s top pick in the draft next year? 

A: I think you have to go off the prospects available on your big board. I would go with the following in order. Will Anderson – edge, Jalen Carter – 3tech, Myles Murphy – edge, Peter Skoronski – LT, Bryan Bresee – DT, Quentin Johnston – WR, Jordan Addison – WR. The Bears have too many weaknesses on this roster to not take the best available at every position except QB. 

Q: Do the Bears add another weapon at WR? Or maybe trade back with a team needing a QB? 

A: Yes, the Bears have to add more weapons in the WR room. We need playmakers bad at the WR position. I would love it if we traded down with a QB-needy team. Teams like the Colts, Saints, Panthers, and maybe a shocking Raiders. Receivers I would want are as followed. Quinten Johnston, Jordan Addison, Jaxon Smith-Njiba, Jordan Addison, Kayshon Boutte, Jalin Hyatt, and Josh Downs. A late down guy Keylon Stokes from Tulsa.. only because we have the same last name. Another bonus late-round guy, the 6’6 Jalen Sample from Minnesota State, depends on his 40 times, he might need to switch to TE.  

First Up

Justin Fields took another step Sunday. Accounting for 314 yards and 4 total TDs. He continues to elevate those around him. He set a record for the longest run by a Bears QB last week (61-yard TD run). He broke that Sunday breaking off a 68-yard TD run, breaking away from Lion’s corners and safeties. Truly impressive what Justin does on the ground. 

Second Up

Jack Sanborn might just be that dude. 11 total tackles, 9 solo, and 2 sacks, also had a very nice Interception called back on a bs call. The Bears were again screwed by refs, Jaylon Johnson pressed a guy at the line of scrimmage put his hands on the receiver’s shoulder pads, and got called for hands to the face. I can’t wait to see Jack continue to develop. He played high school football in Lake Zurich went to college in Madison Wisconsin and was a UDFA, who is now starting for the Bears. 

Third Up

Cole Kmet’s breakout continues. Another great story, Cole is from Barrington Illinois, die-hard Bears, and a Cubs fan. Per QB1, Mr. Justin Fields ” Cole has always had it physically, he has grown the last few weeks mentally”. Cole Kmet was never going to be Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews. He is a classic Y TE, hand in the ground, good blocker who runs nice routes for easy completions for QB1. 

First Down

Jaylon Johnson got torched yesterday. I don’t remember him getting targeted in a game this much since his rookie year. Jaylon wants to be the best corner in football, you have to be better than Sunday to even be close to that discussion. Cornerback is a very hard position, you get respect on your name and then barely get targeted. When that happens you lose some of your skills because you don’t get targeted. I still have faith in Jaylon. Let’s bounce back shut down ATL and get a pick next Sunday. Keep your head up Jaylon. 

Second Down

 The whole defensive line minus Justin Jones. No one generates pressure. Trevis Gipson’s breakout season was supposed to happen, but he’s taken steps backward. Dom Rob still needs more reps, but man our pass rush and run d are brutally bad. We get pushed back at the point of contact. The only way we get pressure is to blitz an LB or DB. Need to see someone other than Justin Jones take a big step. Speaking of Justin Jones, he’s been a menace in the run game, need him to step up in the pass rush though. 

Third Down 

The entire receiver room. No one gets separation. No one bails out the QB with a nice catch. Where is Chase Claypool? Where is Velus Jones Jr. ? Where is N’Keal Harry? You invested a 2nd, 3rd and 6th round draft pick into those guys and Velus and Harry were healthy scratches. I’m sick of EQ, yes he blocks well, but he runs bad routes and has stone hands. I’d like to see the Bears come out next Sunday with the WR room looking different. Mooney, Claypool, Pringle, Velus, Harry, and Pettis should all be activated and involved in the offense this week.  

We are officially past the midpoint of the 2022 NFL season let’s take a look at a few guys that could potentially be Chicago Bears next season. As you may remember I wrote a similar article last year and it was one of my favorites to write because the draft season is by far one of the best parts of the NFL season.

The Chicago Bears who are currently slated to pick at number eighth overall, head into the offseason with eight total draft picks after acquiring two from the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore’s own second and fifth-rounder, and dealing their second to get wide receiver Chase Claypool away from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1. Peter Skoronski Northwestern OT (no. 5 on my big board)

Park Ridge Illinois’ finest and Northwestern’s top draft prospect Peter Skoronski is what the Bears need in the draft. Standing at 6’4” and 315 pounds Skoronski would immediately slide into the starting role at either left tackle or left guard as he does have interior flexibility. In the 2021 season, as a sophomore Skoronski played roughly 820 snaps while only allowing 12 quarterback hurries, six quarterback hits, and two sacks. Some of his strengths are that he has an insanely strong upper body which allows him to control his opponents. He gets off the ball super quick and prevents opposing linemen from blowing by him. Some of his weaknesses are that he ends up playing high which causes him to lose some leverage, which can be fixed in the NFL so it isn’t a huge problem. 

2. Myles Murphy Clemson EDGE (no. 7 on my big board)

It isn’t a surprise that the Bears have been struggling defensively as of late. One way to fix that is by taking one of the best defensive linemen in this class which is Clemson edge rusher, Myles Murphy. Clemson runs a 4-3 defense similar to the Bears so he would be a nice scheme fit. Murphy is one of the two Clemson defensive linemen projected to go within the top 10. So far in his collegiate career, Murphy has a total of 106 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks. The 20-year-old pass rusher already has an NFL-caliber spin move along with an intense bull rush. He would be a very good replacement for Robert Quinn, especially opposite a guy like Trevis Gipson. Now, some weaknesses we have seen in his game are that he struggles to shed off blockers while also needing to use his hands better as he lacks violence when using his hands and he doesn’t move laterally as ideally as you would like to see. 

3. Jaxon Smith- Njigba Ohio State WR (no. 14 on my big board)

Smith-Njigba is one of the top wide receivers in this nation. While he has fallen down my rankings due to not laying much this season because of injury he still is a game-changer that will be taken super high in the 2023 draft. The 6’1” 200 pound wideout broke out on the scene last season in the Rose Bowl game against Utah where he put up a record-breaking performance of 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns. While he and Justin Fields did overlap at Ohio State they only connected for 10 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. Smith-Njigba has a great ability to get himself in open space as well as having sure hands making him a favorite of his quarterbacks. One of the few knocks he has on him is that he drops the ball more often than you would like a top wideout to drop.

4. Quentin Johnston TCU WR (no. 12 on my big board)

TCU’s Quentin Johnston is my favorite wideout in this entire class. Johnston would be a great fit alongside both Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool mainly due to his size, 6’4” and 215 pounds, and his ability to get up and snag contested catches. He has been a key piece in the TCU offense and has helped the team tremendously to achieve a top-four spot in the Associated Press top 25. Currently, Johnston has 45 receptions with 650 yards and four touchdowns. I believe that Johnston has the highest ceiling in this class along with North Carolina’s Josh Downs. Some of the strengths he has are that he is a crisp route runner and can haul in some incredibly tough catches but he does come with negatives which include a very small route tree as well as not being a great blocker despite his size. 

5. Paris Johnson Jr Ohio State OT (no. 8 on my big board)

Another potential Ohio State Buckeye to be a Bear is offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. Out of his 768 snaps in 2021 he only allowed 13 QB hurries, one QB hit, and no sacks. He comes in standing at 6’6” and 310 pounds. It is a tough choice between both he and Peter Skoronski as to who will be the first tackle off the board in late April. His strengths include he doesn’t quit on plays while also being a huge leader in that Buckeye locker room. Johnson also plays with nastiness which is a trait that Bears general manager Ryan Pace looks for in his offensive linemen. He, like all prospects, does come with weaknesses in his game; he can get impatient and start to play with a poor base and he also lets pass rushers get into him rather than delivering a punch to them.  

On this week’s episode of BEAR FORCE ONE, Marty and Brian catch up on this week’s HUGE moral victory over the Miami Dolphins and Justin Fields’ NFC Player of the Week performance. The guys talk about the dumpster fire in Indy before breaking down this week’s matchup with Man Campbell and the Detroit Lions. Lastly, they brought it home with the Dick Butkus Tweet of the Week.

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