The annual Reese’s Senior Bowl began in Mobile, AL on Tuesday, and the Chicago Bears were notably around plenty in the second day of practices. The game itself will be played on Saturday, but these drill days gives teams the chance to see prospects up close to key in on their fundamentals.
With Chicago entering the draft holding three picks in the first two rounds, events like the Senior Bowl are crucial toward the teams’ future. The primary needs for the Bears this offseason lie in the trenches. With Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones expected to be the only starters to return from 2024, a combination of the draft and free agency will have to fix the unit before this upcoming season.
Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham appear to be keeping a tight eye on the trenches in the early going down in Mobile. With some notable day two guys making appearances at the Senior Bowl this year, it gives the Bears brass a fantastic opportunity to get an honest look at them for their big board.
The Chicago Bears are dialed in at offensive line at the Senior Bowl
Despite not being around much on day one of the Senior Bowl, Chicago Bears beat writer Nicholas Moreano reported that Poles and Cunningham showed up big time on Wednesday. Cunningham spent a lot of time by the linemen while they were stretching, and Poles was locked in during the one-on-one drills.
A name to help out the Chicago Bears on the inside of their line to keep an eye on is Jonah Savaiinaea from the University of Arizona. The big man projects well as a guard in the NFL and is expected to be drafted at some point during the second day of the draft. He measures in with a solid frame at 6’5, 336 pounds and can toss defenders around with ease.
Savaiinaea finished his final season at Arizona with a 75.9 PFF grade while allowing just four sacks. If Chicago can snag him in the second round, he would be a perfect addition to their interior. The organization has been frequently linked to highly coveted free agent Trey Smith from Kansas City, but even if they sign him they will need another guy on the inside moving forward.
Edge should not be a position the Chicago Bears overlook in Mobile
Even though Chicago has a massive need for offensive linemen, their pass rushing unit needs some work as well. Montez Sweat hasn’t had a proper running mate since joining the franchise last season, and that simply has to change ahead of the 2025 campaign.
An early prospect that has made noise at the Senior Bowl as an edge rusher is Mike Green from Marshall. Green has dominated the one-on-one drills against some high quality offensive linemen, asserting himself into the conversation of being a fringe first-round draft choice.
These one-on-one drills are the same ones that Poles spent a fair amount of time watching on Wednesday, so it would have been hard for him to not notice Green. In 2024, Williamsburg, VA native finished with 17 sacks, 13.5 more than he had in his first year at Marshall after transferring from Virginia. The numbers and tape speak for themselves on Green, and the Chicago Bears might have to jump on the opportunity to draft him if he is there for them in the second round.
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