A former scout on several players.

[Direckshun]

Greg Gabriel writes for SB Nation and was an NFL scout for years and years. He is a Bears fan.

Here's what he's written about:

Anton Harrison:

Anton Harrison – OT – Oklahoma

Skoronski will be a very good NFL player and perhaps a Pro Bowl type player, but it won't be at tackle; it will be as a guard. He is just 6'4 and has 32 ¼" arms, and at present there is not a starting tackle in the League with arms that short. And don't forget, both Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus preach "length." As much as I like Skoronski, he lacks "length."

Anton Harrison just finished his true junior season at Oklahoma. He got significant playtime as a freshman in the Covid shortened 2020 season. In 2021, he started 12 of 13 games at left tackle and played most of the snaps in the game he didn't start. This past season he started all 13 games, with 12 of the starts coming at left tackle and one start at right tackle.

At the Combine last month, Harrison measured 6042 – 315 with 34 1'4" arms. He also ran 4.98 in the 40 being one of the few offensive linemen to break 5.0. He did not bench or do any of the agility drills and will more than likely do those at his Pro Day later this week.

As a player, Harrison is very good. As his tape shows, he is easily an athletic fit to play in the Bears' outside zone scheme. He is often asked to pull, and he shows he can run well, adjust on the move in space, and make a productive block in the open field.

As a run blocker, he comes off the ball very quickly, stays low, and has very good "snap" in his hips on contact. This allows him to generate movement with his blocks. What I like is he never stops his feet. On contact, he keeps moving and always looks to finish. He easily gets out to linebackers and is also good with combo blocks. Harrison has a strong competitive nature, consistently looks to finish blocks, and often runs his opponent into the ground. While he may not be on the same level as Broderick Jones as a run blocker, he isn't far behind.

His athleticism shows in pass pro. He has very good feet to set quickly and stop wide speed. He shows the agility needed to slide and recover back to the inside vs counter moves. Anton plays with very good knee bend, keeps his back straight, and has a strong punch. One area that needs improvement is he occasionally lets his hands get on the outside of the framework of his opponent. That can get a player in trouble with the refs. It's easy to fix with good coaching and repetition. Whether it's a run or pass, Harrison plays a physical game and has an all-out motor. In short, he gets after it.

If the Bears were to draft Harrison, they may keep him at left tackle and then move Braxton Jones over to the right side. That is basically a coaching decision and would be determined during OTAs and early camp.

Keion White:

Keion White – Georgia Tech Defensive Lineman

If there is one player in this Draft that I would love to see as a Chicago Bear, it's Keion White. There is nothing about his game that I don't like. He is a fierce competitor and plays a very physical game. There is never any let-up in his play.

At Georgia Tech he played outside on both the right and left sides. While he could very well line up as a defensive end in the Bears scheme, I feel he has the makings of becoming a terrific 3-Tech.

Many of you will recall that in 2009, when I was Chicago's Scouting Director, we drafted a defensive end from Texas by the name of Henry Melton. Melton played just one season at DE for us before we moved him inside to the 3T. We saw that he had the frame to get bigger and had the explosive first step needed to play the 3T effectively. I see very similar traits in White, and White already has the size to play the 3T.

At Indy, White measured 6050 – 285 with 34" arms. He did not run at the Combine but came back to run a 4.71 at his Pro Day a week ago. At Indy, he did bench (30 reps) and showed his outstanding explosiveness with a vertical jump of 34" and a standing long jump of 9'9".

White is a lean 285 and should easily be able to play at 290 – 295, which is ideal for the 3Tech. When Tommie Harris was here, he played between 285 and 290, while Henry Melton, who has a similar frame as White, played at 290 – 295.

White is strong at the point and never gives ground to blockers. He has quick and violent hands to shed and/or gain ground. The 3Tech has to be a penetrator in order to disrupt the run game, and that is precisely what White does consistently. As a pass rusher, he has the ability to use power off speed to win. He has a very quick first step and very good hand use. With his athleticism, he can quickly redirect his charge and then close on the quarterback. Like in the run game, he is a finisher and goes all out every play. In short, Keion White would be an excellent addition to the Chicago Bears and make the defensive front much better.

Paris Johnson:

Paris Johnson Jr.

Johnson is a true junior at Ohio State who entered the Draft as an underclassman. As a true freshman, he played right guard and got into five games as a reserve. As a sophomore in 2021, Johnson started every game again at right guard. He was playing guard because OSU had veteran players at the tackle positions and wanted their five best linemen playing, so Johnson played inside. This past season with the left tackle position open, Johnson became the starting left tackle and started every game.

Physically, Johnson is just what we look for in a tackle. He stands 6060 – 313 with 36' arms and has very good athletic ability. He had 29 reps of 225 at the Combine, which is excellent for a player with such long arms.

Watching the tape, Johnson makes things look easy. He plays mostly from a 2-point stance but will get down into a 3-point stance at times. He has excellent initial quickness, and despite being 6'6", he comes off the ball low and under control. When he makes contact with his opponent, he has a natural snap in his hips and runs his feet to get movement. I wouldn't call him an overpowering tackle; he just plays so consistently and makes things look so easy that he wins on a consistent basis.

When trying to get to the second level, he runs well, can adjust on the move, and make productive blocks in space. When used to pull, it's the same. His overall athleticism and body control are excellent for such a big man.

In pass protection, he can set quickly, keeps his back straight, and has a very good punch to jolt his opponent. For the most part, he keeps his hands inside. He shows very good ability to sink his hips and anchor, and his mirror ability vs moves is excellent. He also has the quick lateral agility to set wide and stop speed. Johnson is very alert for stunts and blitzes and constantly plays with poise. It's fair to say that going into next month's Draft he is the best tackle in this Draft. He shows on tape that he can easily play well in space, and that makes him a strong fit for the Bears. The fact that he spent over a season playing guard on the right side means there would be little or no adjustment for him to play right tackle.

Broderick Jones:

Broderick Jones

Like Johnson, Jones is a third-year player, but he doesn't have the extensive starting experience that Paris has. As a freshman, he lined up as a backup right tackle and got into just a couple of games for mop-up duty. As a sophomore in 2021, he was again a backup but got into every game. When the starter at left tackle went down in the ninth game with an injury, Jones started the rest of the season and gained valuable experience. This past season he again started every game at left tackle.

In the Georgia media guide, Jones was listed as being 6'4", and because media sizes are generally overstated, I felt that he might not be quite that tall. In his case, his media guide size was understated as at the Combine he measured 6050 – 311 with 34 3'4" arms. As big as he is, he still ran 4.97 in the 40, had a 30" vertical jump, and a 9'0 standing long jump, so he is explosive. He did not bench at the Combine nor at his Pro Day last week.

From an experience and technique point of view, Jones is not as advanced as Johnson, but he may have more upside down the road. Looking at his hand use in both the run and pass games, he still needs work. He doesn't consistently keep his hands inside, but at the same time, he is more violent with his hands.

Watching Jones' overall play, he is a strong and nasty player who looks to finish and punish on a consistent basis. As good an athlete as Johnson is, I feel that Jones may be a little better as his feet are a bit quicker, and he seems to have a bit more "quick twitch" to him. Johnson has not timed to date, and he looks like a 5.0 to 5.05 type compared to Jones’ 4.97. Yes, it's negligible.

As a run blocker, Jones consistently gets movement and easily gets to the second level and out into space. Like Johnson, he is a perfect fit for the Bears' outside zone scheme. In pass pro, Jones shows a very quick and explosive punch. Where he can get in trouble is with his hands, as he can get them outside the frame of his opponent. His quick feet, agility, and recovery are rare. No one is going to beat him with speed, and he anchors extremely well.

Overall, I really like both players. Both have experience on the right side, but Jones may be a natural left tackle, and if the Bears drafted him, they may have to move Braxton Jones to right tackle. Both players are plug-and-play types, with Johnson being more ready for the NFL than Jones, but Jones may be the better player two years down the road.

What it gets down to is if the Bears make that decision to select a tackle at nine and both are there, it's which one are they most comfortable with. They both have the talent to be long-time starters and potential Pro Bowl players. The Bears can win with either one. Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus could have a tough but nice decision to make in five weeks.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

White is also 24 years old. I'm guessing that's out of their range there?

Gonna be fairly frequent for the next few years; COVID created a batch of super seniors. At a point you can't just keep taking every 24 yr old off your board.

The only thing that does is truncate their learning curve. And if you're starting with tools that will allow you to compete immediately, the age is less of an issue.

It's not a non-issue, mind you, but with as many of these overaged prospects as we're going to see this year and next, you can't just take them all off your board.

[O.city]

I just really like McDonald opposite Karlaftis. I think they work better together than White but I do like White.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Gonna be fairly frequent for the next few years; COVID created a batch of super seniors. At a point you can't just keep taking every 24 yr old off your board.

The only thing that does is truncate their learning curve. And if you're starting with tools that will allow you to compete immediately, the age is less of an issue.

It's not a non-issue, mind you, but with as many of these overaged prospects as we're going to see this year and next, you can't just take them all off your board.

With his size and tools he does still need some technical work, if he didn't I don't see how dude isn't going in the top 15.

I don't really mind the age as much, but that does make him tough to project out as a 2nd contract guy. It's not a killer, but it's something to think about.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

With his size and tools he does still need some technical work, if he didn't I don't see how dude isn't going in the top 15.

I don't really mind the age as much, but that does make him tough to project out as a 2nd contract guy. It's not a killer, but it's something to think about.

Well hell, if he's 22 and doesn't need to iron out his technique, he's in the conversation with Anderson for the first non-QB selected. The tools are THAT loud.

Yeah, he's only in the discussion because he's 24 and still needs to firm up his pass rush plan. But that's how we'll have to get a superstar at DE - invest in a distressed asset and rehab it.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by O.city

With his size and tools he does still need some technical work, if he didn't I don't see how dude isn't going in the top 15.

I don't really mind the age as much, but that does make him tough to project out as a 2nd contract guy. It's not a killer, but it's something to think about.

I like McDonald too but he's also 24. I can absolutely see the argument for White seeing the field more in his first year, just through his versatility, and as a result getting the snaps he needs to develop. He's a better fit. On the other hand, I think we're crying out for speed at DE. We're got 2 big bodies already, having a guy who can fly just feels hard to pass up.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by JPH83

I like McDonald too but he's also 24. I can absolutely see the argument for White seeing the field more in his first year, just through his versatility, and as a result getting the snaps he needs to develop. He's a better fit. On the other hand, I think we're crying out for speed at DE. We're got 2 big bodies already, having a guy who can fly just feels hard to pass up.

Exactly.

There are going to be too many overaged prospects in the next few drafts to simply ignore them.

Gotta play the cards you're dealt and COVID kinda goofed stuff up for a bit.

[Direckshun]

I don't really care for age that much, unless it's obscene. I think the Eagles drafted a 27 year old guard a decade back in the 1st round. That's just stupid.

But if you can give me a DE who can do all the things Spags needs and hits the ground running, Karlaftis-style, then that's going to give me five good years of a passrush.

At that point, he's 29 and we'll see what we see.

But I've got Mahomes. I'm going to try to win it all now and White's a great pick for that.

So is Broderick Jones though, and really several guys. But White needs to be in the conversation.