It was a surprise when the announcement came down that Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy would have the honor of being the head coach for the American team at the 2023 Senior Bowl. This means he will have a front-row seat for one of the most important pre-draft events of the year. He and his staff will work with a group of players likely to make up around 40% of the upcoming draft class. The Senior Bowl has routinely produced quality players that end up starters and even stars in the NFL. Getsy will be able to work with them up close, seeing which ones may have a place in Chicago.
It also presents an opportunity for the Bears to correct a mistake they made in 2017. That year, head coach John Fox and his staff got the honor of working at the Senior Bowl, running the North team. Here are some players they spent an entire week coaching directly. None of them were drafted by the Bears.
- WR Cooper Kupp
- WR Zay Jones
- LB Haason Reddick
- OT Dion Dawkins
- OT Taylor Moton
The only player the team ended up taking who attended the Senior Bowl was guard Jordan Morgan in the 5th round. He didn’t even last more than a year with the team.
Luke Getsy should have more support this time around.
Former GM Ryan Pace wasn’t known for putting much stock in the Senior Bowl. He never drafted a player from that event higher than the 4th round during his tenure with the Bears. Early signs suggest Ryan Poles will be different. He took Velus Jones Jr. in the 3rd round after his successful showing in Mobile last April. He also drafted other participants, such as Braxton Jones, Ja’Tyre Carter, and Dominique Robinson. It would seem Poles places far greater stock in this week-long process than the scouting combine or pro days.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. During his stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, Poles saw this approach work. Kareem Hunt (3rd round), Creed Humphrey (2nd round), Eric Fisher (1st round), Dee Ford (1st round), and Juan Thornhill (2nd round) all became standout contributors to the organization. There is a proven track record of success for teams that take this event seriously. That is why Luke Getsy has such a golden opportunity in front of him. Hopefully, he doesn’t let it slip by as Fox did.
The Bears drafted Leonard Floyd and couldn’t figure out how to use him. He only became a star after he left. Mitch Trubisky is what he is: not in the same universe as Holmes or Watson. Smith is gone for reasons I still don’t get. James Daniels is gone. What good is it to draft good players and then have them leave. The Bears didn’t become a better team with them, The Bears were a train wreck under Nagy and Pace. I’m not optimistic but, as a lifelong Bears fan, hopeful this year. Too many questions. It’s a three year… Read more »
@scott brs — That’s the Chicago sports media narrative, Scott.
But remember: Leonard Floyd, Mitch Trubisky, James Daniels, Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, Teven Jenkins, a guy named, Roquan Smith — and oh yeah, Justin Fields are all still playing in the NFL, at pretty high levels of success.
Pace wasn’t perfect — and his hiring of Matt Nagy proved that. But Pace acquired lots of good players. Check the rosters of the 2022 NFL playoff teams. You’ll find quite a few former Bears players. Nagy just never used them effectively.
@Thomas Gena Pace drafted a lot of good players but it was always after the third or fourth round. If he could have done anything in the first two he would still be here. The first two rounds are the only picks people care about. I am glad he drafted Fields and Johnson and Montgomery and Kmet. But other than the best guys left on the roster he wasn’t a very good GM.
What will Ryan Pace-haters do with themselves, if (when) Ryan Poles selects a QB in the 2023 NFL draft?
Whatever Poles does — REMEMBER, it was Ryan Pace who drafted JF1.
@David that was the last time I remember watching the senior bowl. I just remember we traded down and drafted Haynes and Grossman.