Luke Getsy Can Right A Major Bears Wrong From 6 Years Ago
It was a surprise when the announcement came down that Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy would have the honor of being the head coach for the American team at the 2023 Senior Bowl. This means he will have a front-row seat for one of the most important pre-draft events of the year. He and his staff will work with a group of players likely to make up around 40% of the upcoming draft class. The Senior Bowl has routinely produced quality players that end up starters and even stars in the NFL. Getsy will be able to work with them up close, seeing which ones may have a place in Chicago.
It also presents an opportunity for the Bears to correct a mistake they made in 2017. That year, head coach John Fox and his staff got the honor of working at the Senior Bowl, running the North team. Here are some players they spent an entire week coaching directly. None of them were drafted by the Bears.
- WR Cooper Kupp
- WR Zay Jones
- LB Haason Reddick
- OT Dion Dawkins
- OT Taylor Moton
The only player the team ended up taking who attended the Senior Bowl was guard Jordan Morgan in the 5th round. He didn’t even last more than a year with the team.
Luke Getsy should have more support this time around.
Former GM Ryan Pace wasn’t known for putting much stock in the Senior Bowl. He never drafted a player from that event higher than the 4th round during his tenure with the Bears. Early signs suggest Ryan Poles will be different. He took Velus Jones Jr. in the 3rd round after his successful showing in Mobile last April. He also drafted other participants, such as Braxton Jones, Ja’Tyre Carter, and Dominique Robinson. It would seem Poles places far greater stock in this week-long process than the scouting combine or pro days.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. During his stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, Poles saw this approach work. Kareem Hunt (3rd round), Creed Humphrey (2nd round), Eric Fisher (1st round), Dee Ford (1st round), and Juan Thornhill (2nd round) all became standout contributors to the organization. There is a proven track record of success for teams that take this event seriously. That is why Luke Getsy has such a golden opportunity in front of him. Hopefully, he doesn’t let it slip by as Fox did.