New faces bring new opinions when it comes to the draft process. The Chicago Bears overhauled most of their offensive coaching staff over the past month while also adding a new defensive coordinator. All of these men will be brought up to speed on the evaluation process. Together, they will work with team scouts to help build the best possible draft board. As is always the case each year, guys end up having favorites. Certain players they believe would make the team better.
So here is a fun exercise. Let’s take every new assistant coach the Bears hired and determine which draft prospects they are likely to gravitate toward. This will be based on each of their backgrounds, from the positions they run to the types of guys they worked with in the past.
The Chicago Bears will likely be urged to consider these prospects.
Shane Waldron (OC) – Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
People look at Waldron for his work with quarterbacks for obvious reasons. They might be surprised to know he spent a lot of his assistant career as a tight ends coach. It is a position he knows quite well. Yet he’s never had the chance to work with a truly elite talent. He left New England a year before Rob Gronkowski arrived. There is no question he will salivate at the opportunity to work with Bowers, who is drawing George Kittle comparisons. The guy is a matchup nightmare with size, speed, and soft hands.
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Kerry Joseph (QB) – Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane
Mentioning Caleb Williams or one of the other top QBs would be too easy here. A better debate is if Joseph might convince the Bears to take a gamble on somebody later in the draft. During his Senior Bowl interview, he mentioned that confidence and swagger are essential to a good quarterback. Pratt has both in abundance, as proven by the fact he beat Williams to end the 2022 season. He’s a capable pocket passer, accurate, and unflappable in big moments. While he might be average in certain talent areas, the guy gets the most out of what he has.
Chad Morton (RB) – Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Having coached running backs since 2017, it appears Morton has developed a liking for strong, tough, and relentless runners—Guys with great contact balance who always give that extra effort on every down. Corum was the beating heart of Michigan’s offense for two years. He drove their offense and always delivered in big moments. He’s a tough runner with great contact balance and strong vision as well. It isn’t hard to imagine Morton immediately falling in love with the kid. He embodies everything the Chicago Bears would love.
Chris Beatty (WR) – Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
Every coach has a certain type of player they like. For Beatty, he has always preferred guys with natural route-running prowess. It was true of D.J. Moore at Maryland and again with Jordan Addison at Pitt. He loves detailed, smooth guys who understand how to get themselves open. Polk demonstrated that ability over and over with the Huskies. He might not get the same attention at Rome Odunze, but he’s such a smart player with plenty of talent in his own right.
Eric Washington (DC) – Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
As a long-time defensive line coach, Washington will be a huge asset in that area. His track record indicates he has a special talent for developing young defensive tackles. See Henry Melton, Kawann Short, and Ed Oliver. Orhorhoro had nine sacks over his last two seasons at Clemson. He’s got the size, strength, and quickness tailor-made for a three-technique interior pass rusher. The issue is his experience. He didn’t start playing football until late in high school. This is a project Washington would love.
