2020 Senior Bowl: 7 prospects Bears should watch on offense

The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason. Here are 7 prospects on offense they should be watching this week.

The road to the 2020 NFL Draft starts in Mobile, AL, with the Senior Bowl, where Bears scouts will have the chance to get to know some of the top prospects in this draft class.

More than 100 of the top collegiate seniors from schools all over the country will participate in this year’s Senior Bowl, which will take place on Jan. 25.

But prior to then, practices during the week leading up to the game give front offices a chance to evaluate players on the field and meet with them off the field.

The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason, especially on offense. Let’s take a look at seven prospects on offense they should be watching closely this week.

1. QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Considering the uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Bears should definitely pay attention at the Senior Bowl. Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts is a dual-threat passer that can surely help his draft stock with a solid week. Hurts is likely going to fall to the second round, where the Bears happen to have two draft picks. But should they use one of their selections on Hurts?

Hurts had a career-season with 3,851 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, which led him to be a Heisman finalist. But there are questions about Hurts as a downfield passer and going through his progressions, something that current Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has been known for.

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USA TODAY 2020 NFL mock draft: Dolphins take OL with Texans’ first-round pick

The Houston Texans traded their first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins. USA TODAY’s latest mock draft has Miami going OL with that pick.

The Houston Texans gave up their 2020 first-round pick as part of their trade package to acquire left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31.

What are the Dolphins going to do with that 26th overall pick? According to Michael Middlehurts-Schwartz’s latest mock draft for USA TODAY, the 5-11 club from the AFC East are going to fix their tackle void that was created by dealing away Tunsil.

26. Dolphins (from Texans) — Josh Jones, OT, Houston: Between Miami’s 58 sacks allowed and rate of 3.3 yards per carry, it’s clear an investment needs to be made up front, especially if an ascending talent like Jones is available in the first round.

So if the Texans didn’t address left tackle with Tunsil, then they would have Jones there with their first-round pick. The Texans would have a young trio on the offensive line with former first-rounder Tytus Howard and former second-rounder Max Scharping entering their second seasons to go along with the rookie Jones.

Of course, Scharping was originally a tackle before he was kicked inside to play left guard. What if the Texans thought 2020 was the season to put both at tackle? From what’s available according to the mock draft, Houston would have a threesome of edge defenders to choose from in DE/OLBs K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU), Terrell Lewis (Alabama), Julian Okwara (Notre Dame). There would also be some secondary help in Alabama safety Xavier McKinney and possibly a Will Fuller replacement in Penn State’s K.J. Hamler.

The Texans won’t have a chance to add to their ranks until the second round. The Tunsil trade worked in the short-term to help the Texans protect quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside immediately. However, the next phase is to see whether or not gambling on a “win now” mentality costs them young stars that could be the foundation for a new era.

Chargers 3-round mock draft

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez drops his latest three-round mock draft for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The offseason is near, which means that predictions for free agency and the NFL draft are going to continue to roll out.

Here is our latest three-round mock draft for the Los Angeles Chargers:

Round 1, No. 6, QB Justin Herbert, Oregon

Whether or not Philip Rivers is back next season, the Chargers can’t hold off on finding his successor. The team could look to draft offensive line help here, but they are in a great spot where one of the top quarterbacks like Herbert will most likely be on the board.

Herbert, the 6-foot-6 and 237 pounder, has everything that the Bolts will look for in their future quarterback — arm talent, mobility, experience, football intelligence and production. While there are some areas that need to be addressed – he is a guy with high upside.

With some polish and being surrounded with talent like wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, tight end Hunter Henry and running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson – I can see Herbert really maximizing his potential.

It wouldn’t be the most sexy selection in eyes of the fans, but it’s a pick that the organization would make given their philosophy, need and most importantly, he checks off on nearly all of the boxes when it comes to what’s required in their evaluation process.

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Ideal early four-round draft for Cardinals in 2020

The Cardinals have lots of needs to fill in the 2020 NFL draft – here’s a mock that fills four of them.

The Arizona Cardinals only have two games remaining on their 2019 schedule and many fans have begun thinking about 2020. A big part of that is the NFL draft.

Free agency will play a big impact in which direction the Cardinals go in with their first several picks, but since they have several needs, they could go in many directions.

Looking at the current roster, there is a need either outright or for depth at any position outside of RB and specialists. The four likely biggest needs would be at receiver, offensive line, defensive line and, now with the release Terrell Suggs, edge defender. One could also make an argument that they need help at tight end, linebacker, cornerback and safety.

So this four-round mock draft will focus on those four positions and addressing those large needs for the Cardinals.

Round 1: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

The first round is the toughest call in any draft. With the Cardinals drafting likely in the top 10, there will be a lot of talented players to choose from, including what many fans call the perfect fit in Kyler Murray’s old college teammate.

Lamb can already do one thing better than any other receiver the Cardinals have and that is separate from the defense. His experience with Murray is a plus, as he would likely know what to do when Murray scrambles – not to mention how good he is after the catch.

Others considered: Auburn DL Derrick Brown, Georgia OT Andrew Thomas, Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa DE A.J Epenesa, Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons

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Former Packers S Josh Jones is finally on a 53-man roster

The Cowboys promoted Jones, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2017, to the team’s 53-man roster.

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Former Green Bay Packers defensive back Josh Jones, a second-round pick of the team in 2017, has finally secured a spot on another team’s 53-man roster.

The Dallas Cowboys announced the promotion of Jones from the practice squad to the team’s active roster on Saturday.

The Packers released Jones with a non-football illness designation on Aug. 25. Almost a month and a half later, he was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad on Oct. 2.

Now, after another month and a half, Jones is back on a 53-man roster. He’ll help the Cowboys’ depth at safety, a position stung by injury recently.

Jones played in 29 games and made 12 starts for the Packers between 2017-18 but struggled to find a legitimate role and gradually found himself phased out of Mike Pettine’s defense. His size, athleticism and positional versatility never materialized into tangible value in Green Bay.

Jones, who will wear No. 26, should be available for the Cowboys on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, a team he played four different times as a member of the Packers.

Pettine’s defense moved forward at safety with rookie Darnell Savage and free-agent addition Adrian Amos, with contributions also coming from Raven Greene (now on IR), cornerback converts Will Redmond and Chandon Sullivan and recently activated defensive back Ibraheim Campbell.

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