Luke Getsy Has An Even Bigger Edge At Senior Bowl Than We Thought

One of the primary selling points for Luke Getsy taking a head coaching job for the Senior Bowl was the opportunity to coach some of the best draft prospects in the country. That could give the Chicago Bears a crucial advantage in evaluations. Several players have looked sharp in practices this week. Getsy has worked with them on and off the field. He has a good sense of who he may or may not like. However, people may not know the young coach already had some inside information on several key names before he even accepted the job.

Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com found out that multiple players on the American roster are already familiar with Getsy. It turns out he made quite the impression on them during his stint on the recruiting trail for Mississippi State in 2018. He was their offensive coordinator that season.

"Learning that Luke Getsy would be his head coach this week at the Senior Bowl put a huge smile on Oklahoma running back Eric Gray's face.

As a high school senior in 2018, Gray was recruited by the Bears offensive coordinator, who was then serving in the same role at Mississippi State...

...Gray isn't the only member of the American team at the Senior Bowl who was recruited by Getsy during his one year at Mississippi State. Others include Mississippi receiver Jonathan Mingo, Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young and Auburn defensive end Derick Hall."

This means Getsy already has a good idea of each player's capabilities. Getting a chance to work with all of them this week allows him to further enhance scouting reports. The best part is each of them has looked good in practice.

Luke Getsy is almost certain to pound the table for somebody.

One doesn't watch this many prospects and not fall in love with at least one of them. It's fun to speculate which of them it could be. The most logical answer is Mingo. Getsy coached wide receivers for much of his assistant career. He knows the position well. Chicago needs more weapons. Mingo had his best season in 2022, going for 861 yards and five touchdowns. He's known for his good size, solid hands, and strength to fight through contact both before and after the catch. His route-running appears to have improved as well. There are concerns about his overall speed, but his style of play would fit what the Bears like to do on offense.

Gray is another option to consider. Chicago had no genuine receiving threat at running back this season. Trestan Ebner couldn't fill that role. Gray caught 99 passes for 827 yards in college. He runs good routes and has the speed to go along with it. The fact he was voted Practice Player of the Week in Mobile says he made a strong impression. Luke Getsy could push hard for either of those guys to get drafted, finally fulfilling his original mission of landing them five years ago.