Thread: NFL Draft: Ranking the 4-3 DE Class by Tiers

Soul you are right the Bears should pick a DE at 19 you have convinced me that is the direction we should go.

Do I want them to pick a WR, yes, but they should probably prioritize DE and I will not be upset if they pick a DE.

Soul just for you I am going to work on a DE [Mercilus] Mock Draft, LOL.

I do refuse to gve up my love of Cordy Glenn, now that I am on the DE train.

Originally Posted by WindyCity

Soul you are right the Bears should pick a DE at 19 you have convinced me that is the direction we should go.

Do I want them to pick a WR, yes, but they should probably prioritize DE and I will not be upset if they pick a DE.

Soul just for you I am going to work on a DE [Mercilus] Mock Draft, LOL.

I do refuse to gve up my love of Cordy Glenn, now that I am on the DE train.

Originally Posted by WindyCity

My DE Rankings

The NO shot club.

1. Quentin Coples
2. Melvin Ingram

The realistic and exciting group

3. Whitney Mercilus
4. Nick Perry

The trade down crew

5. Andre Branch
6. Vinny Curry

The Do not Want

7. Courtney Upshaw

I think that pretty well nails it Windy. The top guy in each of those three categories is probably who we have on the board as the top 3 picks at DE. If Coples is there you probably can't afford to pass on him. Next comes Mercilus for exactly the same reason. After that it's anyone's guess.

Do they stay at #19 and take a BPA such as a WR or an OLineman or do they trade down? Guys like Branch and Curry may be around in two anyway so do we take a LB or a DB later in one if there's still one we like or even a wild card shot at a guy like Hill?

It's far easier to predict what happens it it falls in our favor than what happens if it doesn't. We got lucky last year and our guy was there at our pick but in the year we took CWill Clady came off the board right before us and we reached for an OT based on need. I would hope that if Coples, Mercilus and Perry are all gone that we don't take Branch at #19 when it looks like he doesn't carry a rating that would make him a good pick at that point.

That's where I would hope we trade down or we take another position player who does rate that pick even if it's not a position we need as badly. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. With Emery's military academy background you can pretty well figure he'll have contingencies heaped upon contingencies.

Originally Posted by WindyCity

I hate the idea of moving down to fill a need because we probably miss out on a better player.

If Perry and Mercilus are gone then we should look at Glenn, Gilmore or a WR that can come in and play and cycle back and move up for Curry or Branch.

I can see Glenn as long as they have a plan for him right out of the shoot because he should be able to come in and play somewhere. Gilmore would be a surprise pick but it fills a need and could be a fit and start with a little bit of work. Better that than a WR.

What the take a WR contingent has to look at is the extension we gave Bennett last year. A 4 year deal averaging $4.5 mil per year with a $6 mil SB isn't what you typically pay for a #3 Slot Receiver. He's being paid #2 money and I think they expect him to line up opposite Marshall this year. Weems isn't a big dollar guy but he's about the same size as Wright and has down-field type of speed. Then they add Devin Thomas who has size and speed. It's likely that both will be primarily ST guys but with Marshall and Bennett starting and Hester getting some use somehow (they're not gonna stop throwing to him) whatever role Knox had as a deep threat would have been more diminished anyway.

That ESPN thing about the Bears going to a deep passing offense is bogus. That was Martz's style and we just got away from that. I'm not saying we won't ever throw down-field but we're not suddenly gonna become the Oakland Raiders. That's not where Marshall will kill teams anyway and Bennett is no speed merchant. Those two will move the sticks better than any passing combo we've seen in forever.

Spending a 1st round pick on a prospect at WR when we have other holes to fill just doesn't maximize what resources we have left to use this year.

Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

I guess I'm the only Bears' fan left on here still pulling for the Bears to go with a WR at #19.

If Emery does go with a WR this is what I say to you guys:

You can never say never PB but with the acquisition of Marshall I'd say that need slid lower on our list. Adding ST guys with speed like Weems and Thomas as potential role players tells me that's not the direction we're heading in either but we know there are talented prospects to be had if others we rate higher don't fall to us.

If we had gotten MWill then maybe we don't trade for Marshall and Floyd is our guy on draft day but we got our aircraft carrier in Marshall so Floyd becomes a luxury and it's entirely possible that in combination Hester, Weems and/or Thomas can give us down-field threats to equal what a guy like Wright could give us as a rookie anyway.

The other factor I keep pointing out is that we extended Bennett deal for 4 years at an average of $4.5 mil per year with a $6 mil signing bonus and you don't pay that kind of money to a #3 WR. You're not gonna sit him for a rookie and just use him as a 3rd down slot guy.

I can still see us drafting a guy I just don't see it happening in the first two rounds is all but you never know. Sometimes players fall to you that are just too good to pass up whether you have a big need for them today or not.