The Senior Bowl is officially in the books. Following a week of practices and meetings with scouts, the Senior Bowl culminated in a 34-17 win for the North.
There were several prospects that flashed and elevated their draft stock throughout the week, and there were a few that should certainly be of interest to the Bears.
The Bears have several needs to address this offseason, and there are some intriguing prospects that could certainly help them do that.
Here are five players that impressed this week during the Senior Bowl that should be on the Bears’ radar.
1. EDGE Bradlee Anae, Utah
The Bears are in need of help coming off the edge, and one player that raised his stock at the Senior Bowl was Utah edge rusher Bradlee Anae, who was an absolute force during Saturday’s game.
Anae made life difficult on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts Saturday. He simply couldn’t be blocked, and he came away with back-to-back sacks of Hurts in the second quarter. He also affected one of Hurts’ throws that was easily intercepted by Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison.
Anae projects to be a top 50 prospect, and luckily for the Bears they have to top-50 picks at No. 43 and No. 50. If Anae is still on the board when pick No. 43 rolls around, you have to imagine it’d be hard for the Bears to pass Anae up.
2. EDGE Josh Uche, Michigan
Sticking with the theme of edge rushers, Michigan’s Josh Uche has been someone whose stock has risen during this week’s Senior Bowl. Like Anae, Uche was someone that always seems to find a way to the quarterback — and that was true Saturday, where he excelled both in creating havoc, getting after the quarterback and in coverage.
Uche excels coming off the edge — as evidenced by his 8.5 sacks this season — as well as covering sideline to sideline. He got to the quarterback several times during Saturday’s game, including one sack and a quarterback hit that led to an interception of Colorado quarterback Steven Montez. While Uche wasn’t initially projected as a first-round pick, his performance at the Senior Bowl did well to raise attention.
3. TE Adam Trautman, Dayton
The Bears have plenty of needs this offseason, and tight end certainly ranks high on that list. Chicago was thought to very well be the first team to take a tight end in the draft, although following the Senior Bowl there are a few tight end prospects that have certainly raised their draft stock, starting with Dayton’s Adam Trautman.
While the whole small-school tight end label is enough cause for worry — see Shaheen, Adam — the Bears shouldn’t have similar concerns with Trautman, who has proven to be one of the most complete tight ends in a draft class that also includes Cole Kmet, Brycen Hopkins and Jared Pinkney.
Trautman impressed both as a blocker and as a pass catcher, where he excelled in route running and making contested catches. The Bears are reportedly showing “strong interest” in the Dayton prospect. The only problem is, Trautman has caught the attention of the rest of the NFL, as well.
4. QB Anthony Gordon, Washington State
With the quarterback position a looming question mark, the Bears will surely invest to fix the position. While the Bears are committed to Mitchell Trubisky as their starter in 2020, they’d do well to explore options in free agency and the NFL Draft. One quarterback that had a great week at the Senior Bowl was Washington State’s Anthony Gordon, who also stole the show Saturday.
One of the knocks on Gordon has been his decision making, as evidenced by his 16 interceptions in 2019. But he was able to limit those mistakes both during the week of practice and Saturday’s game, where he was efficient and accurate with the football. Gordon, who completed 8-of-12 passes for 69 yards, led the North team to three touchdowns in the third quarter, including two passing touchdowns.
While the Bears aren’t likely to use one of their second-round picks on a quarterback, Gordon is someone that could fall to them in the later rounds. And the Bears shouldn’t hesitate to take him.
5. G Damien Lewis, LSU
The Bears are looking to shore up their offensive line this offseason, and one prospect that would be hard to pass up on is LSU guard Damien Lewis. Coming off a National Championship, Lewis was a physical force up front and did well under pressure. Lewis, along with the South offensive line, helped Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert excel in the first few series.
Lewis, who some had regarded as a top-150 prospect, certainly boosted his draft stock during the week. If Lewis is sitting there at pick No. 43, it’ll be difficult for the Bears to pass up on him.
