One thing about Ryan Pace? The Chicago Bears GM is nothing if not consistent. This is especially true of his approach to the NFL draft. One constant throughout his tenure is that he tends to favor prospects that he himself has watched in person. It was true of Leonard Floyd, of Mitch Trubisky, and most recently of David Montgomery.If a player happened to deliver a strong performance in Pace's presence, his odds of getting draft go up significantly.
So it was undoubtedly interesting when David Kaplan revealed on ESPN 1000 that both Pace and head coach Matt Nagy would be attending the national championship game between LSU and Clemson. They were certainly treated to an entertaining affair where some of the best players in the country delivered big-time performances. Several of them, of course, won't be on the Bears' radar since they have no 1st round pick.
However, there were some others who could end up in their wheelhouse. LSU pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson was in the face of Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence all night, racking up five pressures. His teammate linebacker Patrick Queen was everywhere with eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a half sack. The Bears could be looking for help with both positions early in April. That said, the one who probably caught their attention the most was tight end.
One with an all-too-familiar last name in Thaddeus Moss.
Ryan Pace is desperate for tight end help
In case people are wondering, the answer is yes. Moss is in fact the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. The same man who tortured Bears secondaries for several years in Minnesota. While he may not have been the favorite target of star quarterback Joe Burrow most of 2019, Moss saved his biggest moments for the big stage. He caught two touchdowns in the game, one of them to cap a 95-yard drive in the first half and the other to stave off a Clemson comeback. His mixture of size, body control, strong hands, and see-ball-get-ball mentality are clear reminders of his old man.
Top draft expert Matt Miller of Bleacher Report is a big fan of Moss.
"Thaddeus Moss, son of NFL legend Randy Moss, is a 6'3", 250-pound athlete who is that mismatch that teams want at tight end. Unlike what you might be picturing, the younger Moss is an accomplished run-blocker and physical player over the middle of the field. This isn't a diva tight end afraid of contact but a three-down talent.
Moss, a junior, could return to LSU for another year, but he has the traits and tools to head to the NFL early."
This is significant for the Bears.
Most projections have the second-generation talent being a Day 2 selection. Likely somewhere in the late 2nd to early 3rd round range. Right in their wheelhouse. While rather average in size for a tight end, he's proven to be a matchup problem who can find the open spaces in coverage or simply win the 50/50 balls as well. Given how miserable the Bears were at tight end in 2019, with no player topping 100 yards, it wouldn't be a shock at all if Pace watched Moss deliver in such big spots and envision him doing the same for Chicago.
