Tag: Kindle Vildor

Bears announce rookie, free agent jersey numbers

Chicago announced the jersey numbers for its rookies and free agent additions.

Wondering which number new Bears tight end Cole Kmet will wear on Sundays? The Chicago Bears have the answer for you. The Bears announced jersey numbers for their 2020 rookie draft class as well as their undrafted free agents on Saturday.

The Bears top two selections, Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, will wear numbers 85 and 33, respectively. 2019 sixth-round draft pick Duke Shelley, who wore 33 last season, will switch to number 20.

Edge rusher Trevis Gipson will don number 99, while their other cornerback Kindle Vildor will wear number 46. Their final fifth-round selection receiver Darnell Mooney has number 11. Finally, their pair of offensive linemen Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons will wear numbers 71 and 73, respectively.

The Bears also announced jersey numbers for their newest free agents signed this week. Receiver Trevor Davis will wear number 4, safety Tashaun Gipson has number 38, and defensive tackle John Jenkins will don number 90.

Chicago’s undrafted free agents also got their jersey numbers.

  • 2 Ahmad Wagner, receiver
  • 37o Artavis Pierce, running back
  • 44d Rashad Smith, linebacker
  • 46o Napoleon Maxwell, running back
  • 49d Keandre Jones, linebacker
  • 57 Ledarius Mack, linebacker
  • 60 Dieter Eiselen, guard
  • 63 Lee Autry, defensive tackle
  • 75 Trevon McSwain, defensive tackle
  • 76o Badara Traore, tackle
  • 97 LaCale London, linebacker

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Touchdown Wire gives Bears “B” grade for 2020 draft class

Despite not having a first-round pick for the second straight year, the Bears are garnering some solid grades for the 2020 draft class.

Despite not having a first-round pick for the second straight year — unless you count Khalil Mack — the Chicago Bears are garnering some solid grades for the 2020 draft class.

The Bears welcomed seven new members to their roster, including second-round selections tight end Cole Kmet and potential steal-of-the-draft in cornerback Jaylon Johnson. They also added depth with fifth-rounders edge rusher Trevis Gipson, cornerback Kindle Vildor and receiver Darnell Mooney and seventh-round offensive linemen Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons.

While there are some that aren’t pleased with the Bears’ selections, initial reactions to Chicago’s draft class has been positive. Touchdown Wire certainly feels so, as they’ve given the Bears a “B” grade for their 2020 draft haul.

The Bears didn’t have a first-round pick in 2020 as a result of the Khalil Mack trade, but they were able to get an absolute first-round defender in this draft. Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson had minor injury concerns, but he’s one of the smartest, most-targeted, and mistake-proof players at his position in this class, and he should be able to take the field and start right away. Johnson slipped enough from his first-round talent that Chicago were able to take Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, also in the second round. Kmet isn’t the most dynamic tight end in this draft class, especially on intermediate and deep throws, but he’s a good all-round player.

The guy Bears fans might want to get excited about in this class is fifth-round pass-rusher Trevis Gipson out of Tulsa. At 6-foot-3 and 261 pounds, Gipson isn’t developed in his technique, but his raw physical tools explode off the tape.

While giving out grades are premature — we’re certainly guilty — it’s always interesting to see how these draft classes and players ultimately pan out several years down the line. There can be high-ranked draft classes that turn out to be complete and utter failures or low-ranked draft classes that can thrive.

There’s a lot of potential for the Bears’ 2020 draft class — including some potential steals and late-round gems — and it’ll be exciting to see how these newest Bears pan out.

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Bears’ 2020 draft class earn B+ grade from NFL.com

Despite not having a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Bears have earned some solid grades for their draft class.

The 2020 NFL Draft has wrapped, and there are plenty of opinions around the NFL landscape surrounding all 32 teams. Although the consensus reaction surrounding the Packers’ draft was that it was abysmal, which certainly makes Bears fans happy.

There’s been a more positive reaction about the Bears’ 2020 draft class. While it’s far too early to start handing out grades for these draft picks, we just can’t help ourselves. And the same goes for everyone else.

Chicago has earned everything from a B+ to a D+ for their early draft class grades, a clear indication that these grades don’t mean anything at this point. Still, it’ll make for a good story a few years down the line — or a nightmare depending on the draft class.

The Bears earned a B+ grade from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter for their 2020 draft class — a B+ for Day 2 and A- for Day 3.

The Bears’ first-round pick this year was held by the Raiders as part of the deal for sackmaster Khalil Mack. They found a talented tight end in Kmet (whom I like more than most), though the pick gives them an absurd amount of depth at the position. Johnson was a good pick later in the second round, as well. Gipson is an underrated player who offered solid value in the fifth round. Vildor has many fans across the league. Hambright is an intriguing prospect with great upside for a seventh-round pick.

While the Bears didn’t have a first-round pick, they still have one of the best players in Khalil Mack leading their top-tier defense. Although, with the selection of Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, Reuter mistakes “absurd amount of depth” at tight end. There are only three tight ends that are locks for the roster right now — Kmet, Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris. The others will be battling for a roster spot and will likely find themselves on the chopping block.

Chicago addressed some needs on defense with the selections of Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who the Bears envision leading the Bears cornerbacks alongside Kyle Fuller for the future. Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson is another underrated player that the Bears nabbed in the fifth-round, and he has all the tools to develop into a contributor down the line.

Sure, the Bears didn’t make a big splash in the 2020 NFL Draft — they only had two picks in the first four rounds. But considering what they were working with — five late-round picks — the Bears addressed some needs and got some possible steals in this draft.

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6 takeaways from the Bears’ 2020 NFL Draft

There’s a lot to digest with this Bears’ draft class, including several implications for this team moving forward in 2020.

With the 2020 NFL Draft in the books, the Chicago Bears welcomed seven new players to their roster. General manager Ryan Pace addressed several roster needs, including tight end with Cole Kmet, cornerback with Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor, pass rush with Trevis Gipson, receiver Darnell Mooney and offensive line with Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons.

There’s a lot to digest with this Bears’ draft class, including several implications for this team moving forward in 2020.

Here are six takeaways from the Bears’ 2020 draft class.

1. Safety wasn’t a pressing priority in their eyes

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, safety was listed among the top needs for the Bears. With a strong safety spot left to vacate with Ha Ha Clinton Dix’s departure, the Bears were expected to bring in a rookie to start opposite Eddie Jackson.

The stars looked to be aligning for Chicago in the second round. The Bears had some top safeties still on the board when picks 43 and 50 rolled around, and they’d have had their pick of LSU’s Grant Delpit, Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr. and Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn.

Instead, they opted to select tight end Cole Kmet at pick 43, surely a need, but it was definitely a surprise. When pick 50 rolled around, they nabbed one of the draft’s top cornerbacks in Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, which no one could argue with.

“It was a pretty deep corner draft and there was a run on them in the first round,” GM Ryan Pace told reporters. “We tried to stay true to our board as we could and when Cole was there with that first pick, we were excited to get him there at that spot.”

There were still some developmental safeties on the board when Round 5 rolled around, but the Bears opted to forgo safety for edge rusher, cornerback and wide receiver. If anything, it speaks more to the deeper cornerback class than anything.

The Bears feel comfortable, to a degree, with Deon Bush, Jordan Lucas and DeAndre Houston-Carson competing for that strong safety spot opposite Jackson. Not to mention, the Bears could still snag Tony Jefferson on the free-agent market if anything else.

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POLL: How would you grade Chicago Bears’ 2020 draft class?

The Bears 2020 draft class features some potential steals and some late-round gems that could become something down the line.

The Chicago Bears have welcomed the newest members of their roster with their 2020 draft class, which features some potential steals and some late-round gems that could become something down the line for them.

Oh, and they also got a potential Hall of Fame player that is one of the best defensive players in the league.

The Bears were without a first-round pick for the second straight year after a trade for former All-Pro Khalil Mack, who for all intents and purposes has been Chicago’s first-rounder for the last two years. With general manager Ryan Pace known for not always hitting on his first-round picks, Mack is certainly a “safe” choice.

Chicago had two selections in the second round — one from the Las Vegas Raiders in the Mack trade — and they nabbed two first-round talents in tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. There’s no doubt about it that the Bears got the consensus best tight end prospect in the draft in Kmet, who will be utilized as a class “Y” or in-line tight end in Matt Nagy’s offense.

But they also got a steal in the second round with Johnson, who’s been pegged by some as a top-three corner. He’ll compete for the starting right cornerback spot opposite Kyle Fuller, and you have to believe he has the upper hand at this point.

The Bears were supposed to have a fourth-round compensatory selection, which they traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for quarterback Nick Foles. So, you could say, that Chicago did draft a quarterback this year in acquiring Foles.

Perhaps Chicago’s strongest moves came in the fifth round, where Pace traded twice to acquire two additional fifth-rounders. That says everything you need to know about the prospects acquired in the fifth round. The Bears drafted Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson — who they traded a 2021 fourth-round pick to select — and his upside is too good not to get excited about.

The Bears also drafted Georgia Southern cornerback Kindle Vildor with their actual fifth-rounder, who presents as an athletic corner with special teams upside. Chicago traded two sixth-round picks to the Philadelphia Eagles to move back into the fifth round to take Tulane receiver Darnell Mooney, who is the speedster the Bears have been waiting for.

To conclude the 2020 draft class, the Bears added two offensive linemen in the seventh round. They added a guard in Colorado’s Arlington Hambright, who’s relatively inexperienced, and Tennessee State’s Lachavious Simmons, a four-year starter that will play tackle. Both will provided much-needed depth on the offensive line.

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How would you grade the Bears’ 2020 draft class?

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Grading the Bears’ selections of CB Kindle Vildor, WR Darnell Mooney

Let’s take a look at our early grades for the Bears’ selections of CB Kindle Vildor and WR Darnell Mooney.

The Chicago Bears selected three rookies in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Considering Bears general manager Ryan Pace utilized a trade to grab two of them, that speaks to their value in the eyes of this franchise.

Chicago added their eighth cornerback — and second in this draft class — when they selected Georgia Southern’s Kindle Vildor with the 163rd overall pick. They also added speed in the form of Tulane wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who they traded two sixth-round picks to move up and take him at 173rd overall.

While it’s far too early to begin assigning grades before they step up on the field — and years later — we can’t help ourselves.

Let’s take a look at our early grades for the Bears’ final two selections in the fifth round:

CB Kindle Vildor

Chris Thelen/Getty Images

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said that you can’t have too many cornerbacks on your roster. And he certainly meant it. Following the 2020 NFL Draft, Chicago has eight cornerbacks on their roster.

They added two cornerbacks in this draft — second-round pick Jaylon Johnson out of Utah and fifth-rounder Kindle Vildor out of Georgia Southern.

Vildor is an athletic corner with the ability to play in multiple coverages, and he’s certainly a project for the Bears. Vildor had 9 interceptions, 9 tackles for loss and 25 pass breakups in his final three seasons at Georgia Southern.

While Vildor shouldn’t be expected to immediately compete for that starting right cornerback spot opposite Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller, he’ll serve as a solid special teams contributor, particularly early on in his career.

Pace has managed to find some late-round gems — especially on defense — and perhaps Vildor will add his name to the list down the line. For now, the Bears got a developmental cornerback in the fifth round that will see action on special teams.

Grade: B

What do you think, Bears fans? How would you grade Chicago’s selection of Vildor?

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Read on for Mooney’s grade

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5 things to know about new Bears CB Kindle Vildor

CB Kindle Vildor is the latest addition to the Bears secondary. Get to know Vildor and what he brings to the table.

The Chicago Bears continued to add to their secondary during the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected cornerback Kindle Vildor with the 163rd pick in the fifth round.

Vildor, a talented defensive back out of Georgia Southern, is the latest addition to the Bears secondary and joins former Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson as the team’s other cornerback picked in the draft. Vildor started three seasons for the Eagles and was named to the Sun Belt first team in his final two years in college.

Get to know Vildor below and learn what he brings to the table:

1. Vildor held his own against the Clemson Tigers

Chris Thelen/Getty Images

When Georgia Southern visit the Clemson Tigers in 2018, they got rolled, as expected. But according to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain, Vildor played well against the powerhouse program, not allowing one completion and intercepting Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, his first thrown pick of the year.

Vildor also defended second-round pick receiver Tee Higgins during the game as well. While it’s hard to justify one game deciding a player’s future, it definitely had an impact as Bryant was benched for college superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence just two weeks later.

Despite playing at a small program, Vildor stood up to some of the highest competition out there. That bodes well for his NFL future as he’ll face the best of the best.

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Twitter reacts to Bears selecting CB Kindle Vildor

Kindle Vildor joins 2nd-round pick CB Jaylon Johnson as the other defensive back selected by the Bears in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Defense has been the focus for the Bears over their last three selections, as general manager Ryan Pace chose to draft Georgia Southern cornerback Kindle Vildor with the 163rd overall pick.

Vildor joins second-round pick cornerback Jaylon Johnson as the other defensive back selected by the Bears in the 2020 NFL Draft.

He also joins a crowded cornerback room, who will likely see plenty of time on special teams. The former Eagle had two interceptions and six pass breakups in 2019, despite missing time with an ankle injury.

See what fans and experts had to say about the latest Bears draft selection:

How do you feel about the Bears selecting Vildor in the fifth round?

2020 NFL Draft: Bears select CB Kindle Vildor with 163rd overall pick

The Bears selected Georgia Southern cornerback Kindle Vildor with the 163rd overall pick.

After only two draft selections in the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, Bears general manager Ryan Pace has been busy adding some developmental talent to Chicago’s roster.

The Bears selected Georgia Southern cornerback Kindle Vildor with the 163rd overall pick. Chicago has now used three of their first four picks on defense.

Vildor is an athletic corner with the ability to play in multiple coverages. Vildor had 9 interceptions, 9 tackles for loss and 25 pass breakups in his final three seasons at Georgia Southern.

With the selection of Vildor, the Bears now have eight cornerbacks on their roster, which is almost as many tight ends that they have with 10.

Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson, Buster Skrine, Kevin Toliver, Tre Roberson, Artie Burns, Duke Shelley and now Vildor make up Chicago’s cornerback room.

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10 players who have had pre-draft calls with the Broncos

Here are 10 prospects who have had pre-draft video calls with the Broncos.

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In previous offseasons, NFL teams were allowed to have 30 draft prospects visit their facilities in the weeks leading up to the draft.

This year, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the league told teams that they were not allowed to travel to prospects or have prospects visit their facilities. Teams were permitted to hold video calls with players, though.

The Broncos presumably had pre-draft calls with 30 prospects. We know the names of 10 of the prospects that Denver called leading up to the draft.

We know that the Broncos had video calls with defensive lineman Robert Windsor, wide receiver Denzel Mims, cornerback Kindle Vildor, cornerback Cameron Dantzler, offensive lineman Josh Jones, defensive lineman Leki Fotu, linebacker Joe Bachie, offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, center Matt Hennessy and cornerback Kristian Fulton.

It’s clear that wide receiver, cornerback and the offensive line will be three of Denver’s biggest priorities in the draft. The Broncos will have 10 picks to use in the draft, including the 15th overall pick on Thursday.

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