Tag: Trevis Gipson

NFL Draft: Bears’ draft class earns B+ grade from PFF

The Bears managed to snag some first-round talent and some promising developmental prospects that could become contributors down the line.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Chicago Bears have welcomed seven new players to their team, along with a slew of undrafted free agents.

While the Bears were strapped in terms of draft capital this year — with no first-round pick and two picks in the first four rounds — they managed to snag some first-round talent in the second round and some promising developmental prospects that could become contributors for this team down the line.

Pro Football Focus certainly liked what the Bears did, giving them a “B+” grade for their 2020 draft class.

While the Bears didn’t have a first-round pick in this draft, technically Khalil Mack was their first-rounder over the last two years. So, Round 1 was certainly a success.

As for Round 2, PFF wasn’t too impressed with the selection of Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, who they argued was drafted sooner than he deserved.

He has a nice all-around game and is still very young, but he’s not quite the dynamic, sudden athlete you draft highly at the position. He’s a reliable chain-mover which is nice in any offense, but not necessarily worthy of a high draft pick.

While they weren’t high on Kmet, they had nothing but glowing reviews about Chicago’s other second-rounder in Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Johnson is one of the most instinctual corners in the entire draft, and he goes to a landing spot in Chicago where that ability can thrive. We saw Johnson’s grades improve every single year of his college career after he saw 506 snaps as a true freshman back in 2017. In his final seven games with Utah, Johnson allowed only 112 yards combined.

PFF noted that Chicago added some potential difference makers in the fifth round — in Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson and Tulane receiver Darnell Mooney — which should certainly have Bears fans excited.

The Bears added a couple of players in the fifth round who have the potential to be difference-makers in the NFL. Gipson isn’t going to be ready to contribute as a rookie, but all the tools are there to be a successful pass-rusher in the NFL. Despite not being in a favorable scheme at Tulsa, he still put up a pass-rushing grade of 89.7 in 2019. Darnell Mooney brings some speed to the slot for Chicago, having averaged over 15 yards per reception in each of the past three seasons for Tulane. 

When all is said and done, we won’t know how the Bears’ 2020 draft class pans out for a few years. But the potential is certainly there with these seven players.

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WATCH: Highlights of new Bears EDGE Trevis Gipson

The Bears might’ve found a late-round gem with EDGE Trevis Gipson. Let’s take a look at what the Bears are getting with Gipson.

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The Chicago Bears might’ve found another late-round gem when they drafted Tulsa pass rusher Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick. They certainly believe so, as evidenced by general manager Ryan Pace trading a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for an additional fifth-rounder, which was used to take Gipson.

Gipson, a two-year starter, was a force in the All-American Athletic Conference. In his first year as a starter in 2018, Gipson tallied 46 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He followed that up in 2019 with 15 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, which earned him first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. He had eight forced fumbles at Tulsa in his career.

Gipson’s upside is huge. He has all of the physical tools to possibly become a starter for the Bears in the future. And he’ll get a chance to learn from the best in Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn.

Let’s take a look at what the Bears are getting with Gipson:

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Grading the Bears’ selection of EDGE Trevis Gipson

Chicago strengthened its pass rush with the fifth-round acquisition of Tulsa EDGE Trevis Gipson. How does he grade out?

The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with their first pick on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, trading for an additional fifth-rounder with the Minnesota Vikings to select Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick.

The fact that general manager Ryan Pace traded a fourth-rounder to acquire an earlier fifth-round selection and grab Gipson tells you everything you need to know about what he means to the Bears.

The Bears no doubt see the upside with Gipson, who adds depth to Chicago’s pass rush. While Gipson has just two years of starting experience, he became a force in the All-American Athletic Conference, dominating the competition.

In his year as a starter in 2018, Gipson tallied 46 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He followed that up in 2019 with 15 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, which earned him first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. During his collegiate career, he had eight forced fumbles at Tulsa.

While Gipson has a long way to go as a developmental prospect, the upside is huge. He has all of the physical tools to become a starter for the Bears down the line.

Gipson lined up both inside and outside as a pass rusher at Tulsa, but he figures to occupy the outside linebacker position with the Bears.

The Bears are obviously set with their starting pass rushers with Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. But Gipson figures to get some reps, alongside free-agent acquisition Barkevious Mingo. Seeing as Pace valued Gipson in the fifth round, the hope is he could develop into a starter in the future.

While the Bears did trade a 2021 fourth-round pick to grab Gipson, if he develops into another late-round gem for Pace, it will have been well worth it.

Grade: B+

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

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GALLERY — 2020 Draft Class

5 things to know about new Bears EDGE Trevis Gipson

The Bears selected Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Here’s a few things to know about the newest Bear.

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The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with the addition of Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson, who they drafted in the fifth round with the 155th overall pick.

In case you were wondering how high the Bears are on Gipson, general manager Ryan Pace traded a 2021 fourth-round pick to grab him eight spots before Chicago’s fifth-rounder rolled around.

No matter how you look at it, Gipson’s upside is huge. While he’s a developmental prospect, he has all of the physical tools to become a starter for the Bears down the line.

Here’s a few things to know about the new Bears pass rusher:

1. Gipson’s motivated to prove everyone that passed him up wrong

Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

When you know you’re a great football player, it’s difficult to watch so many people pass over you for other players. Such is the curse of the NFL Draft, and it was something that really irked Gipson.

During Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, Gipson was getting antsy waiting for his name to be called during the fourth round. He took to Twitter to share his thoughts about being passed up by so many teams. And the message was loud and clear.

Gipson is motivated to prove the other 31 teams that passed him over. And what better place to do that in Chicago, where he’ll get to learn from the best in Khalil Mack and his new partner-in-crime Robert Quinn.

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Twitter reacts to Bears trading to draft Tulsa DE Trevis Gipson

The Bears selected pass rusher Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

It was only a matter of time before Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace needed to make a trade in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bears traded into the fifth round to select Tulsa edge rusher Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick.

Gipson totaled eight sacks in his final college season and provides depth behind outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. The Bears traded their 2021 fourth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in order to select Gipson.

Fans across Twitter shared their thoughts on Gipson and the Bears decision to make a trade in this year’s draft.

The Bears have four more picks left in the 2020 NFL Draft — two in both the sixth and seventh rounds.

What are your thoughts on the Bears trading into the fifth to draft Gipson?

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2020 NFL Draft: Bears select EDGE Trevis Gipson with 155th overall pick

The Bears traded up 8 spots to draft Tulsa EDGE Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall selection.

The Chicago Bears haven’t been too busy so far in the 2020 NFL Draft, making just two selections in the first four rounds with tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson in the second round.

When the fifth round finally rolled around, the Bears traded with the Minnesota Vikings to select Tulsa defensive end Trevis Gipson with the 155th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Bears traded a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Vikings to draft Gipson. They did not trade their 2020 fifth-round selection at pick 163.

When general manager Ryan Pace sees his guy, he’ll do anything to get him. And Pace didn’t want to risk losing Gipson in the eight picks before 163.

Gipson is someone that knows how to get after the quarterback. In 2019, Gipson had 49 total tackles, including 15 for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles at Tulsa.

Gipson will join a Bears pass rush anchored by former All-Pros Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, where he’ll be able to learn from one of the best in Mack.

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2020 NFL draft: The Panthers Wire dueling mock drafts edition

Then vote at the end for which mock you like best.

Self-quarantining may be a bummer, but some of the online content that’s emerged as a result has been pure gold. Perhaps the most notable comes courtesy of the music industry’s biggest names, who have taken to Instagram Live to go head-to-head in some heated beat battles. We’ve seen Timbaland vs. Swizz Beatz, Lil’ Jon vs. T-Pain and Scott Storch vs. Mannie Fresh, to name a few.

For our latest 2020 mock draft, we decided to follow their example and put out a mock draft battle between two of our Panthers Wire contributors: five-year veteran Anthony Rizzuti and the up-and-coming rookie Erik Williams.

Read on to take a look at their mock picks, conducted via the PFF Draft Simulator, to see how they ran their respective drafts for the Panthers. Then vote at the end for which mock you like best.

Round 1: pick No. 7 overall

Rizzuti: Isaiah Simmons, LB/S, Clemson

Carolina’s new head coach Matt Rhule places a premium on athleticism and versatility and there’s no player in this draft on either side of the ball who has a better combination of both.

Simmons’ blend of tools – particularly his physical abilities and natural feel for the game – have earned him a variety of reps as a linebacker, edge, both safety spots, outsite corner and even some slot corner. He’d make for an ideal fit for the positionless prototype being brought in by Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow.

Whether you see him as Luke Kuechly’s heir apparent or as a Derwin James-like playmaker, it doesn’t really matter seeing as the team has needs at practically every single position on defense. Simmons offers depth at most of them.

Williams: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

This has been a popular mock pick this year, but Brown is simply too good to pass on, here. The Panthers get the best player available in one of their greatest areas of need: the interior of the defensive line.

Brown’s draft stock has taken a bit of a hit following his sub-par combine performance, but he is still considered by most to be the best defensive tackle in this class, if not a close No. 2 behind South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw.

Brown plays with unbelievable strength and explosiveness, tremendous gap penetration ability, and a motor that never stops. He is exactly the kind of prototype player Rhule wants to work with, and he can start right away.

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NFL Draft: An edge-rusher for the Eagles in each round

An edge-rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles to consider in each round

The Philadelphia Eagles have several pressing needs on the offensive side of the ball, but the Eagles could choose to add another pass rusher to the roster via the draft.

There are several big-named edge-rushers set to enter the NFL and with the Eagles looking to become a quicker, more versatile team, Howie Roseman could choose to add more depth to a pass-rushing unit that already looks formidable in Philadelphia.

We’ve provided an edge-rusher for the Eagles to consider in each round.

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Oct 12, 2019; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (18) tackles Florida Gators running back Lamical Perine (2) during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

1. K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU

The Eagles can get younger along the defensive line and the LSU star wouldn’t be a bad player to start with. Chaisson is a Danielle Hunter clone and is versatile enough to play on the edge or in space.

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2020 NFL Draft: Giants could target these Day 3 prospects

With the 2020 NFL Draft just around the corner, here’s a look at several Day 3 prospects the New York Giants could target.

There’s not much to do these days except analyze the upcoming NFL Draft and what we’ve done here is line up some possible Day 3 candidates for the New York Giants.

In both of the scenarios below, the Giants did not land Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. In the first scenario, we passed on him at No. 4. In the second, he was gone before the Giants were on the clock.

Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Using The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator, here’s how the 2020 NFL Draft played out for the Giants.

Day 1

  • Round 1, Pick 4: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Analysis: Wirfs is a versatile, athletic lineman the Giants sorely need. They have a lot invested in Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley and they need some talent up front to help stabilize the trenches.

Day 2

  • Round 2, Pick 36: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
  • Round 3, Pick 99: Nick Harris, C, Washington

Analysis: Queen would be a steal here and more than make up for passing on Simmons in the first round. Queen next to Blake Martinez in a 3-4 would be a nice tandem. Harris is a down-and dirty interior lineman cut from the Richie Seubert cloth. Giant fans will love him.

Day 3

  • Round 4, Pick 110: Julian Blackmon, S, Utah
  • Round 5, Pick 150: Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
  • Round 6, Pick 183: Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland
  • Round 7, Pick 218: Calvin Throckmorton, OT, Oregon
  • Round 7, Pick 238: Carter Coughlin, LB, Minnesota
  • Round 7, Pick 247: Levonta Taylor, CB, Florida State
  • Round 7, Pick 255: Mitchell Wilcox, TE, South Florida

Analysis: Blackmon is a pretty good fourth round find. I feel he’d start for the Giants right away. Hodgins was a sleeper, but his name has been rising. Not sure he’ll be around at No. 150. Brooks is a physical safety the Giants will find many uses for. Throckmorton would have to excel in camp to make the roster, but he’s got some ability. The final three players are all boom or bust types, but are all good athletes with solid football acumen.

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Giants select Mekhi Becton, stock up in Draft Wire’s 7-round mock

In Draft Wire’s most recent seven-round mock draft, the New York Giants select OT Mekhi Becton and stock up at positions of need.

Now that the NFL has announced the compensatory draft picks for the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, we can take mock drafts a little more seriously.

Luke Easterling of USA Today’s Draft Wire released his full seven-round mock draft on Wednesday. Here’s how he sees the New York Giants making out.

Round 1, Pick 4: Mekhi Becton, offensive tackle, Louisville

Taking Becton over Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons and Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is going to disappoint many Giant fans. So is not trading back at No. 4 and still getting one of the three. But Becton is a monster of a prospect and should be a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle n this league. It’s not the sexiest pick, but with a young quarterback and an offensive line that is in dire need of upgrades, I’ll take this pick all day long.

Round 2, Pick 36: Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

The Giants need to address the pass rush and their defensive end roles. Lewis is 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds and is seen as an ascending prospect who hopefully has put his injury woes behind him. He did not run the 40 at the Combine, so his pro day will tell more of the tale of where he is physically.

Round 3, Pick 99: Troy Pride Jr., cornerback,  Notre Dame

Highly productive college player with polish and should be able to walk right into the Giants’ secondary and secure a role. The Giants are young and inexperienced at corner and need some steady hands at the position.

Round 4, Pick 110: Brandon Jones, safety, Texas

Average skills and size but played aggressively. The Giants need more depth at safety with Jabrill Peppers coming off injury and Antoine Bethea turning 36 in July, a young safety is needed.

Round 5, Pick 150: Michael Divinity Jr., linebacker, LSU

Ran a 4.85 40 at the Combine and doesn’t appear to be more than backup material at first glance. Would’ve gone with another player here.

Round 6, Pick 183: Quartney Davis, wide receiver, Texas A&M

Probably coming out a year too early but that’s the nature of the games these days. Davis is fast (4.54 40) and productive and could be a sleeper the way Darius Slayton was last year.

Round 7, Pick 218: John Molchon, offensive lineman, Boise State

Pegged as in interior guy with decent size (6’5″, 310) but has short arms for his size. It may not matter if he can hold his own in the NFL. He was all-conference two years running in spite of that.

Round 7, Pick 238 (from NO): Rodney Smith, running back, Minnesota

A fifth-year senior, Smith was second-team All-Big 10 last year and was the 2016 Holiday Bowl MVP. The Giants are concerned with Saquon Barkley’s durability after last year’s ankle injury and are in the market for running backs.

Round 7, Pick 247: Harrison Hand, cornerback, Temple

Athletic Jersey kid who is worth taking a flier on. They need both depth in the secondary and on special teams and Hand might fit both roles.

Round 7, Pick 255: Trevis Gipson, defensive line, Tulsa

Still a developing talent, Gipson exploded last year at Tulsa with 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks with two forced fumbles in 11 starts. Doubtful he’s here to be taken with the Mr. Irrelevant pick.

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