Evaluating talent for the NFL draft has several layers, one of which is live-scouting prospects in some of their biggest games of the season. And while it isn't out of the ordinary for clubs to send a contingent of team representatives to those top games, it's certainly worth noting when a general manager is in attendance.
Bears GM Ryan Pace was among the team's scouting personnel at Saturday's Ohio State vs. Michigan game, which means there's absolutely a player or two (or more) he wanted to see up close and in person.
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Naturally, the logical question Bears fans should be asking themselves is: Who was Pace there to see?
We can rule out Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young, who has a chance to be the first pick in the draft. The Bears don't have a first-round pick because of their trade with the Raiders for Khalil Mack in September 2018, nor do they have the assets or roster flexibility to make the kind of move it would take to jump all the way up in Round 1.
It's also safe to assume Pace wasn't there to evaluate Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okuda, who like Young is challenging for early first-round pick status. He may end up being the top cornerback prospect in the class and that usually results in a top-10 selection. His secondary-mates Shaun Wade (CB) and Damon Arnette (CB) are more likely to be in Pace's crosshairs, although Wade has a chance to end up as a first-rounder too.
Buckeyes running back J.K. Dobbins should be an early second-round pick come April, but with the investment the Bears made in David Montgomery in last year's draft, it's hard imagining a scenario where Dobbins would be Pace's first (or even second) pick in 2020.
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Michigan, on the other hand, has a few prospects who fit the description of Day-2 (rounds two and three) and Day-3 players (rounds four through seven), including edge defender Joshua Uche, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and interior offensive lineman Ben Bredeson. All three prospects would make sense for a Bears roster that will need an upgrade at pass-rusher, a bigger-bodied wide receiver and some help along the interior of the offensive line.
Pace has a strong history of finding productive players on the second and third days of the draft and it's good to see he's still on the road grinding like an old-school scout.
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