Bears Overcome Setbacks to Draft Logan Jones — And Why It’s A Massive Win
Last year, the 2nd round didn’t go well for the Chicago Bears. They’d hoped to land a running back for their offense and had their sights set on TreyVeon Henderson of Ohio State. Unfortunately, the New England Patriots crushed their dreams by taking him one pick earlier. Somehow, history repeated itself on Friday. The Bears appeared poised to land quality edge rusher Gabe Jacas of Illinois with the 57th pick. Once again, the Patriots jumped in front of them and took the player instead, leaving general manager Ryan Poles in a tough spot. Just like before, though, the Bears didn’t panic. They landed Luther Burden last year, which turned out well. This time, they went with Iowa center Logan Jones.
People will talk about the fact he’s already 24 years old and taking a center when they don’t need one at the moment. Forget all of that. Jones is a damn good football player. He is tough, gritty, athletic, and ultra-nasty. Intelligence also stands out. The guy is on top of everything at the line of scrimmage. He could start immediately, but the presence of Garrett Bradbury makes that unnecessary. Make no mistake. He will anchor the middle of that offensive line for a long time and is a great fit in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Logan Jones embodies the shift in how the Bears scout.
It has become less about overall upside and measurable and more about taking good football players. That is what Johnson has said and others have picked up the message. Jones is a good football player. We already know Iowa produces excellent offensive line talent almost every year. They are tough, disciplined, and always NFL-ready. Bradbury might be the projected starter, but mark this down. Don’t be surprised if Jones pushes him for the job once training camp gets going. He has the single-minded determination and work ethic to make it happen.
Yes, it is unfortunate the Bears weren’t able to address the defensive line with either of their first two picks. Sadly, the board just didn’t fall their way. Five edge rushers went in the first 24 selections of the 1st round. Six went in the 2nd before they were on the clock again. Poles would not be tied down by needs if the value wasn’t there. He stuck to the board and, as a result, came away with two very good players in Logan Jones and Dillon Thieneman. Then he swung a trade to add more draft capital. That is fine work.
The Bears certainly seem interested in a specific personality.
Each of their first three picks, including Jones, reflects that. They want tough, physical, and violent players. Johnson is interested in becoming the aggressor. He does not like seeing his teams get pushed around. That happened too often at times last season. Not for much longer. The array of players they keep adding all seem to delight in doling out punishment. Jones shows that throughout his tape. Old school coaches always said you needed at least one prick on each side of the ball. He is absolutely a prick.
Chicago hasn’t drafted players like this for a long time, and you could tell from how they looked on Sunday. Constantly being outphysicaled was never a fun feeling. Johnson has some Halas and Ditka in him. He’s a fighter and expects his players to carry that same energy. Sure, the Bears may not have addressed all their needs the way many wanted, but they’re adding good football players. That is the objective at the end of the day.