BEARS’ DAY 3 DRAFT PICKS
ROUND 5, NO. 168 OVERALL Braxton Jones Southern Utah OT
Vitals: 6-5, 310 pounds. Age: 23. Background: At 260 pounds and from small Murray, Utah, Jones was a lightly recruited prospect.
The stats: Jones started every one of his team’s games in each of the last three seasons, lining up at left tackle 29 times and right tackle twice. He earned FCS All-America honors in his last two seasons and went to the Senior Bowl, where area scout David Williams said he was “one of the better linemen.”
The skinny: Bears assistant offensive line coach Austin King took Jones to dinner Sunday night and put him through a 45-minute workout in Salt Lake City the next day. Jones will be a project and figures to play behind second-year players Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom. His addition doesn’t preclude the Bears from signing a veteran to play either guard or tackle. “I feel like I’m fairly ready, honestly, to definitely compete,” he said.
ROUND 6, NO. 207 OVERALL
Doug Kramer Illinois C
Vitals: 6-2, 299 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: The Hinsdale Central graduate grew up in a family of Illinois fans — and Bears fans. When he met with the Bears privately, he was tickled just to walk into Halas Hall. “Dream come true, for sure,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve wrapped my head around the fact the Bears just took me.” The stats: Kramer started a whopping 48 games and was a three-year captain. Executive scout Jeff Shiver called him “a take-charge guy” who “melts into the team well.”
The skinny: He’s undersized for the position, similar to center Sam Mustipher when he came out of Notre Dame. Mustipher put on weight and played last year at 332 pounds, though the Bears signed the Packers’ Lucas Patrick to take his starting job this offseason. “Not the tallest, not the biggest,” Shiver said of Kramer. “But when the ball is snapped, he may be the best up front.”
ROUND 5, NO. 174 OVERALL Dominique Robinson Miami (Ohio) DE
Vitals: 6-4, 252 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: Robinson spent his first two seasons at Miami playing wide receiver before moving to defense in 2020 and making himself a viable draft prospect as a pass rusher.
The stats: Robinson quickly made an impact defensively. Over the 2020 and ’21 seasons, he piled up 11 tackles for loss (including 6½ sacks) in 15 games. He totaled 27 catches, 452 yards and four touchdowns in his two seasons at wide receiver.
The skinny: The Bears have time to develop Robinson and won’t need him to get on the field this season. They already have veterans in Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevis Gipson and Mario Edwards at defensive end, so there won’t be any pressure for Robinson to play immediately. If he carves out a consistent role as a backup, that’s a plus for him and the team.
Ja’Tyre Carter Southern OG ROUND 7, NO. 226 OVERALL
Vitals: 6-3, 311 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: Carter is a former high school basketball standout, so he has above-average athleticism for an interior lineman. He’s a former left tackle, too, so the Bears could move him around if needed. The stats: Carter is the first Southern player to be drafted since the Buccaneers took defensive back Lenny Williams in the seventh round in 2004. He started every game last season and was voted secondteam all-SWAC by the coaches.
The skinny: General manager Ryan Poles should have expertise in offensive linemen, and he’s hoping that will pay off by picking up a few of them in the late rounds Saturday. At guard, the Bears have Cody Whitehair (left) and Sam Mustipher (right) as starters. Mustipher’s spot is vulnerable, but Carter would have to climb over several experienced players to get in the mix for that spot.
ROUND 6, NO. 186 OVERALL Zachary Thomas San Diego State OT
Vitals: 6-4, 308 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: The Carlsbad, California, native stayed home to play at San Diego State, then spent six years there. He redshirted in 2016, tore his ACL in 2018 and took the extra year of eligibility afforded him by the pandemic. His little brother Cameron, a San Diego State defensive lineman, was drafted in the third round by the Cardinals on Friday. “I’ve been sitting on the couch next to him for the past two days,” he said. “So it’s been amazing.”
The stats: Thomas’ 31 college starts were fairly evenly distributed. He started 12 games on the left side last year and 17 at right tackle before then. He even started two games at guard.
The skinny: Thomas and Southern Utah tackle Braxton Jones were drafted 18 picks apart. Both figure to be backups this season, though Thomas has guard flexibility. Area scout David Williams said Thomas has a “more dense lower body” and more physicality in the running game than Jones.
ROUND 7, NO. 254 Elijah Hicks Cal S
Vitals: 5-11, 203 pounds. Age: 22.
Background: Hicks played cornerback for three years before an injury to a teammate during the 2019 bowl season prompted a move to the middle of the field. He visited Halas Hall as one of the Bears’ 30 official meetings. He had such a strong feeling he’d end up in Chicago that he kept a Bears cap near his television in Lake Tahoe, where he watched the draft. The stats: Four of his five career interceptions came at safety, including three last year. He forced a whopping four fumbles last year. “In the air or on the ground,” he said, “I’m gonna come up and make plays and get the ball out.”
The skinny: Second-round pick Jaquan Brisker will get the chance to start opposite Eddie Jackson. While he embodies coach Matt Eberflus’ passion for takeaways, Hicks’ fastest path to make the Bears is via special teams.
ROUND 6, NO. 203 OVERALL Trestan Ebner Baylor RB
Vitals: 5-11, 215 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: Ebner is a versatile athlete who played quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back in high school. He was a five-year player at Baylor after taking advantage of the extra season because of the pandemic.
The stats: If he plays anything like he did in college, Ebner is what the Bears need. He totaled 1,690 yards rushing at 4.9 per carry and 1,515 yards receiving on 127 catches with 20 offensive touchdowns at Baylor.
The skinny: Teams never know what they’ll find in the late rounds, so it’s worth taking a shot on an impressive athlete like Ebner. He’ll start out behind David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, but if he exceeds expectations, he could give the Bears some options as Montgomery enters the final season of his rookie contract.
Trenton Gill N.C. State P ROUND 7, NO. 255 OVERALL
Vitals: 6-4, 220 pounds. Age: 23.
Background: Gill played football (punter and kicker), soccer and tennis in high school and made N.C. State’s team as a walk-on.
The stats: He finished his college career as the program’s all-time leader with an average of 46.3 yards per punt. He also handled kickoffs for the Wolfpack and averaged 64 yards per kick. He had 49 touchbacks.
The skinny: The punter spot is wide open for the Bears, who said goodbye to mainstay Pat O’Donnell. He made the team as a sixth-round pick in 2014 and punted for eight seasons before joining the Packers in free agency. The Bears, meanwhile, have just one punter on the roster: Ryan Winslow, who has bounced among eight organizations (two in the Alliance of American Football) in five years. Gill has a clear shot at a job.