New mock draft has Bears trading down, acquiring TE and OT in 2nd round

The Bears have offensive needs they need to address this offseason, and the 2020 NFL Draft would be the perfect place to start.

The Bears have offensive needs they need to address this offseason, and the 2020 NFL Draft would be the perfect place to start.

In The Draft Network‘s newest mock draft, analyst Benjamin Solak has the Bears targeting tight end and offensive line in the second round — and making a trade in the process.

The Bears sent the Jets the No. 43 pick in exchange for their No. 48 overall pick, as well as acquired an additional fifth round selection (No. 140).

Ultimately, the Bears still get their guy in Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins, who Solak has them selecting with the No. 48 overall selection.

The Bears’ trade down was a good one, as they grab a target from earlier in the round while grabbing a fifth in return. Doesn’t feel like much, but their cupboards are bare this year, and they need more weapons on offense to survive with Mitch Trubisky at QB

Chicago needs to address the hole at the tight end position, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to draft a tight end like Hopkins, who fits perfectly in a Matt Nagy offense, and bring in a veteran through free agency.

Like tight end, there’s plenty of work to be done on the offensive line. Solak has the Bears drafting LSU tackle Saahdiq Charles with the 50th pick.

Saahdiq Charles is one of my favorite developmental tackles that. nobody talks about. He’s not ready to step in and start in Year 1, but the Bears can keep Bobby Massie and Charles Leno installed as starters through this year and re-evaluate after Charles bulks up.

Like tight end, the offensive line was a huge area of concern for the Bears in 2019, especially in the run game. Chicago has invested a lot of money in the offensive line, but they certainly didn’t get the production they would’ve liked in 2019. While Charles Leno and Bobby Massie are locked up at tackle for 2020, bringing in a player like CHarles would be building toward the future.

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4 LSU underclassmen declare for NFL draft

Check out who from the national champion LSU Tigers is entering the NFL draft.

The Arizona Cardinals are in full offseason mode, which means looking ahead to the NFL draft in April. With the college football season over, many underclassmen are declaring for the NFL draft. That includes the national champion LSU Tigers.

Four of their underclassmen have decided to skip their senior season and enter the NFL draft. None is a surprise.

One is safety Grant Delpit. He was one of the nation’s best defensive players and is considered by many as the best safety in the draft class. He will very likely be selected in the first round of the draft.

Linebacker Patrick Queen also declared. LSU has a long line of linebackers playing well in the NFL. He had a big game in the title game and seems to have stock rising.

Offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles is also entering the draft. He will likely be a Day w or Day 3 pick.

Another Tiger to skip his senior season is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He had 1,414 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019 and also caught 55 passes for 453 more yards and a touchdown, totaling 1,867 yards from scrimmage. He has quick feet and makes people miss. As one of the best running back prospects in the country, he is expected as of now to be a Day 2 pick.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 255

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Ep. 254

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LSU OT Saahdiq Charles declares for 2020 NFL draft

Another Louisiana State Tiger football player has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft. This time it was offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles.

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~ Proverbs 14:23 🦍🎤

A post shared by Saahdiq Charles (@77saahdiq) on

The Louisiana State Tigers haven’t even had 72 hours to celebrate their 2019-2020 National Championship before the underclassmen began declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Now you can add offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles to the list of Tigers making the jump this offseason. Charles made the announcement via social media Wednesday.

Charles will join Justin Jefferson, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Grant Delpit, Patrick Queen and Jacob Phillips, who have also declared. Looks like head coach Ed Oregeron will have his work cut out for him as he looks to re-tool his team following this run of declarations on top of the seniors who will also be leaving the program.

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Texas A&M at LSU odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Texas A&M at LSU college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Texas A&M Aggies (7-4, 4-3) will head to Death Valley in Baton Rouge, La., for a meeting with the second-ranked LSU Tigers (11-0, 7-0) on Saturday night. The SEC matchup will kick off at 7 p.m. ET from Tiger Stadium.

We analyze the Texas A&M-LSU odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Texas A&M at LSU: Three things you need to know

1. The Tigers rank third in the country in scoring and second in passing yards this season, and the Texas A&M defense ranks tied for 25th and 22nd in each defensive category, respectively.

2. LSU safety Grant Delpit is expected to play after missing last week’s game against Arkansas with an ankle injury. OT Saahdiq Charles is also expected to return — and start — after being held out the last two games and six overall for “coach’s decisions.”

3. The Aggies had won four straight games before losing at Georgia last week 19-13. They scored at least 24 points in each of their previous six games.


Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!


Texas A&M at LSU: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 1:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

LSU 42, Texas A&M 28

Moneyline (ML)

The Tigers have been the best team in the country all season and they’re not going to trip up this late in the season. They will win this game by at least two touchdowns, which is why the moneyline of -770 for LSU is so steep.

It’s not worth putting any money down on this one for either team to win straight up, and you’d be better off going against the spread. The Tigers never lose at home in night games, but the low return on LSU isn’t worth the risk.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on LSU to win would return a profit of $1.30.

Against the Spread (ATS)

LSU is a 16.5-point home favorite. Death Valley is going to be rocking, as it always is for night games. The Tigers are 5-2 ATS vs. teams with a winning record, but they’ve only covered the spread in one of their last five home games.

The Aggies upset LSU last season 74-72 in a wild 7 OT shootout, and they’ll at least keep this one relatively close. Bet TEXAS A&M (+16.5, -106) to cover the spread.

Over/Under (O/U)

The over/under of 61.5 is pretty high, but both offenses are playing well right now. LSU’s defense hasn’t been great in recent weeks, either, so the Aggies will be able to score. The total has gone over in 11 of the Tigers’ last 14 games and is 4-0-1 in LSU’s last five November games.

Bet OVER 61.5 (-106) in this game.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @camdasilva and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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