His size isn't ideal but he has so many traits you just can't teach. He has great instincts with a high football IQ. He is a leader on the field. He has the athletic ability to chase down a running back in space. The question is gonna be can he consistently beat blockers at the NFL level. But if Trevathan and Floyd stay healthy I'm not worried about that. Lance Briggs was only 6'1 too....so was Patrick Willis. London Fletcher played ILB at all of 5'10. When you're smart and you have good physical ability...sometimes size matters a little less.
My buddy felt the same way. But there's just no way to know what was or wasn't available for Pace. Buffalo may have ignored any contact, or maybe the offer to Tampa and a potential one with the bears were night and day. We just don't know. I know I'm really going out on a limb here, but I think round 2 is where we're going to see a trade down. Isaiah Oliver (CB), Will Hernandez/Austin Corbett (OG), Tyrell Crosby/Connor Williams (OT), Lorenzo Carter/Harold Landry/Uchenna Owusu (edge), Courtland Sutton/Christian Kirk/Anthony Miller/DJ Clark (WR), and Harrison Phillips (5 tech). All guys bears have met with. All needs. What may not have been there in the first may be in the 2nd. I'd like a pick this year and next if it materializes. Some think that's his ceiling. And in regards to weight, he'll put on some coming to the next level. His next step now is being able to fend off interior OL at the NFL level, and he gets some competition this year. 6 games of his season (please don't be on IR by week 3), he gets Easton/Elflain/probable draft pick (Tom Compton is their starting RG) from Minnesota. Elflain is solid. Easton isn't all that, and if Tom Compton starts, they'll get someone pretty average. Lane Taylor/Corey Lindsey/Justin McCray from GB. Lindsey is coming off a tougher year, average run blocker, not so good pass blocker. Guards could stand to be better. I expect a draft pick. Lions have TJ Lang/Graham Glasgow/Kenny Wiggins. Lang is solid, Wiggins was above average, and Glasgow has to step in for Travis Swanson, who departed for the Jets. He's an unknown, though a local kid back up to the Lions. Willis wasn't a big linebacker either. Obviously Smith's going to have some growing pains as a rookie, that's expected. I'll give some leeway, he's allowed to struggle for a bit, but he also has to play like the 8th pick in the damn draft. The tools/traits are there imo. He's got to put it together, and an Edge or good 5 tech (I'm not comfortable with Bullard or RRH starting) makes his development a tad easier. I agree, but I don't think he was ever a 3 down linebacker. Neither does Pace. Its a safe pick, ILB is a need, we can absolutely debate whether or not it was the biggest need (it wasn't), but BPA at a position of need are 2 checked boxes in the right direction. And, this is quite shocking to say. But the bears (at least on paper) have a position with some depth. Kwiatkowski isn't a bum. He's depth and ST. Again, on paper, ILB is a position of strength and depth. Carter and/or Landry could be there in a few picks. Nwosu too, but he's more late 2nd/early 3rd than he is late 1st/early 2nd. Picking one would sooth my shared concern.
Lance Briggs also weighed 254 pounds and played weak side backer. And was a LOAD. It’s not Smith’s height that concerns me, it’s his strong safety weight at ILB. Can’t see him being able to shed 315 pound guards too well. Or even 260 pound tight ends for that matter. I wanted an NFL ready starter, with an NFL ready body, and we should have been able to get one with the damn 8th pick. Tired of all these projects all the time.
I think this is premature, not to say you and Ev bringing up his weight isn't a valid concern. But he came in 236 lbs at the combine, so he put on weight since his last game as a Georgia Bulldog. He's going to put on more weight before week 1. And he does have to fend off guards, he has to improve from NCAA to NFL level. He could do it at the NCAA level. He'll have to naturally improve hand-fighting and the ability to use his speed to stay a step ahead of guards so they can't swallow him up. It's not an impossible task, but no prospect is 100% perfect coming into the league. Let him play first.
I get what you’re saying, but I know you get what I’m saying too. It would be nice to get at least an NFL-ready body. We already have an undersized linebacker from Georgia on the roster that needs to gain weight.
Yeah, reviewing tape in detail, you definitely see these weaknesses show up. Watch the Oklahoma tape, and you'll wonder what the hell Pace was thinking. Watch a couple others, and you'll see a LB with outrageous closing speed, good coverage ability, and a good eye for the ball. I don't think he'll ever play well in traffic / when someone has their hands on him, personally. I don't care if he adds weight / strength, he's not a big dude. I worry about the fit inside in a 3-4. But, if they can keep him clean, he can make all sorts of plays around the field. We'll see. I'll throw more up here when I'm not at work.
Also, quick addition to the above - that closing speed means he's a very effective blitzer. Sure, he's got to run past an OL's hands because he's not shedding a block, but he gets downhill so quickly, and RB's weren't able to slow him up at all. I'll be interested to see how he's utilized as a rookie.
I love the pick. Was worried that not enough QB’s were coming off the board and Indy was Gonna swipe him leaving us with a very good guard but a guard none the less. Smith is the prototype IlB for today’s game and IMO will make a bigger impact than even a HOF guard would.
Lance Briggs ended his career at 254 pounds....I'm willing to bet that wasn't the weight be played at in college. Trevathan is 231 at ILB....but he has great instincts and knows how to take angles and therefore his weight is never a concern. Smith is not only a top tier athlete but he has the intangibles you can't coach as well. Everyone seems to believe Smith is a Day 1 starter....and I think it's premature to say he doesn't have an NFL body. I don't think this is a project. This is a great athlete with top notch fundamentals.
Hopefully my concerns are unfounded. As for the second round - must, must, must, must, must, must, must, must take the best available edge rusher. It’s not even a debate. If we go into the season with Sam Acho as a starter I will vomit.
I wouldn't complain at the trade down, but even if Pace chooses to stand pat the Bears are in a great spot. They're virtually a lock to land a very good Edge or OL prospect. I haven't seen anything about Landry's medical etc so don't know. If Pace gets cute and goes WR or CB i'll be a little pissed.
Bears signed Aaron Lynch, 26 year old from the 49ers. His first 2 years in the league were Fangio's last 2 in the bay area. He put up WIllie Young type-numbers. Of course he's been on IR a lot over the past years without Fangio. I presume Lynch is the starter. We'll know if he is/isn't depending on the bears' next pick. Fangio may have gotten his only toy until late rounds. OL, WR, RB can all be in play with the next few picks. And now the local morning shows agree. Its an unsexy pick, there's no mystery. However a lot of pundits seem to think the bears stole the 49ers' guy. San Fran's war room was apparently caught way off guard and they picked McGlinchy in a knee-jerked fashion, they were evidently under the impression Pace was going with a DB and their guy was Smith to replace the wife beater who's about to go on trial. Consider me shocked, but if Trubisky pans out to be a franchise QB, and Smith is as solid as advertised; it will be odd knowing we have a GM that can screw with others this time of year. Pace deserves credit for some things. Small potatoes example; but 2 years ago Pace made Green Bay look stupid in round 2. GB's war room was filmed celebrating and whooping it up as they traded up with Indy just ahead of the bears to steal Jason Spriggs, who has been garbage; while the bears took Whitehair. It'd be nice if Pace didn't get pantsed otherwise in separate areas (like when the bears play GB on the field) but I'll take what wins I can that Emery didn't have and JA sporadically had in drafting and developing the team.
All I know is Jerry Angelo would be burning up the phone lines right now trading up to grab Landry. The NFL channel had some numbers that only 50% of those drafted in the 2nd turn out to be starters, and they also said (which I don't agree necessarily with) that you draft for need not BPA. I think you need to trust your board and many times exceptional talent will fall, and if he's high on your board (QB exception) you need to grab him, however if nobody stands out you draft for need.
I like Kirk. I also like Connor Williams, Lorenzo Carter, Isaiah Oliver, Josh Jackson, Harrison Phillips, and Courtland Sutton. I don't mind a trade down right now......hope something materializes that benefits the bears.
