Mock Draft Concept/Approach
Round 1: Receiving Threat
The Bears have a #1 WR, but we do not have enough weapons outside of Brandon Marshall and as of right now every team that we play is going to double team Marshall and force Hester to beat them on the other side.
The Bears need someone who can threaten teams deep and force them to cover all of the field and open up the underneath routes for Marshall.
I know the Bears need pass rush, but they need a situational guy that can combine with Izzy and give them a little more speed.
Instead of worrying about how we are going to replace perennial Pro Bowlers in Urlacher, Briggs and Pepper lets finally give them an offense that gives them a chance to win a Superbowl.
Options
1. WR Kendall Wright [Baylor]
A dynamic deep threat with great hands that is a threat to score when he touches the ball that teams will need to respect.
2. WR Stephen Hill [Georgia Tech]
Hill has more potential than anyone in the draft and regardless of how good he is as a rookie you will have to cover him like Torrey Smith from the Ravens.
3. Trade Down: TE Coby Fleener [Stanford]
To call Fleener a TE is a mus-conception as he has the incredible speed and hands to line up all over the line up.
Round 2: Pass Rusher
The Bears need to start to develop a pass rusher across from Peppers and need some to rotate with Izzy. The 1st round DEs seem to have a ton of question marks and risks attached to them and the Bears might be better served to wait and address it with multiple players.
This draft is deep with the DEs and they can come in and simply focus on 3rd down and hustling after the QB. The 2nd round DEs have talent and they can be developed by one of the better DL coaches in the league in Rod Marinelli.
Options
1. DE Vinny Curry [Marshall]
An explosive pass rusher that has great technique and hustle, but may not have the athletic ability of Mercilus and Perry.
2. DE Chandler Jones [Syracuse]
He is climbing right now and could go in the 1st round, but he has the height 6'5"and long arms that the Bears love at DE.
3. DE Bruce Irvin [West Virginia]
Undersized at 6'3" 250lbs, but he has the pure speed 4.5 [40] and explosiveness to be a rotational guy that can come in and just burn it off the edge.
Round 3: OG Competition
The Bears need someone to compete with J'Marcus Webb at LT and with the lack of OT talent the best player to do that may be Chris Williams. To move Williams the Bears need to bring in someone with starting potential to compete with Louis and Spencer and provide valuable depth.
On top of needing competition the Bears need more talent on the interior OL where they have a ton of very average players. The Bears need to bring in someone with the kind of size and physicality to deal with players like Suh on the inside.
Options
1. OG Brandon Brooks [Miami Ohio]
A massive 6'5" 350lbs OG that has incredible athletic ability and the physical ability to dominate the point of attack.
2. OG Brandon Washington [Miami]
A great athlete for a 6'3" 320lbs mauler who plays with a nasty attitude.
3. OT Mitchell Schwartz [Cal]
A college tackle that can possibly play OG and allows the Bears increased flexibility along the line.
Round 4: LB Depth and Development
The Bears need to start investing in players that can take over for Briggs and Urlacher in a couple of season. I expect both Urlacher and Briggs to play for a couple more seasons so the need is not pressing, but improved depth is needed this season.
The Bears have the luxury of not needing to spend a higher pick because they can spend 2-3 years developing this player under the tutelage of a couple multi time Pro Bowl players.
Possible Options
1. LB Keenan Robinson [Texas]
Versatile and athletic he has played MLB and WLB for Texas and has better size at 6'2" 240lbs than you traditionally see in the Cover 2.
2. LB Terrell Manning [NC State]
An athletic player that has the speed to get into coverage and has the closing speed to be a factor against the run, but needs skill development.
3. LB Nigel Bradham [Florida St]
Another player that is more athlete than LB right now, Bradham has the size and speed to be a dominant player in the NFL and has led the Seminoles in tackles for 3 years.
5. CB Depth and Development
The Bears recent signings have greatly increased their depth and competition at the #2 CB spot with Tim Jennings. The Bears can afford to add some youth and depth and develop it without needing the player to make a significant impact on defense.
Under the Emery regime I am hoping that he can fill some holes down the road on defense with good later rounds picks that are developed like Brandon Carr.
Possible Options
1. CB Omar Bolden [Arizona St]
Bolden has the size 5'11" 202lbs and the physical style the Bears need in the Cover 2 defense.
2. CB Leonard Johnson [Iowa St]
Johnson might not have elite speed, but he is one of the most physical CBs in the draft and he is a heavy tackler at CB.
3. Justin Bethel [Presbyterian]
A small school player with the physical skills the Bears need and their is lots of room for development and improvement in his game.
6. Pass Rush Depth [Pure Speed]
The Bears have added a potential starting DE, or at a minimum a player that will play lots, in the 2nd round but I feel they should continue to add players with top speed to the pass rush core. This player does not need to be a complete DE, or ever develop into one, because of where they are being drafted. All this player needs to have is great speed off the edge and provide another player that can rush the passer.
This pick can be someone that is a one trick pony as long as that trick is rushing the passer like we had for the fleeting moment with Mark Anderson.
1. DE Tim Fugger [Vanderbilt]
An undersized super athlete that has the measurables and speed to simply come in on 3rd and long and athlete at the QB.
2. DE Kentrell Lockett [Mississippi]
A height weight speed player that needs technique work, but is athletic enough to get the edge.
3. Jacquis Smith [Missouri]
A top level athlete with a couple of moves to get to the QB and make plays he has the frame to be a dynamic player.
7. Round 7: Secondary Depth/Special Teams Contributor
The Bears should continue to add depth to the secondary in either the safety or the corner back position. One of the nice things about the Cover 2 defense is that the CBs often come out of nowhere to have success because they are overlooked due to weak man to man skills.
The Bears can add another developmental player and hope to get lucky and replace a starter down the road.
Possible Options
1. CB Robert Blanton [Notre Dame]
A limited athlete, but a big CB that is willing to tackle and could be used on special teams immediately.
2. S Damien Jackson [Mississippi]
A tall safety at 6'2" with the athletic ability that Lovie likes in the back end that can provide depth and a special teams gunner.
3. CB Ron Brooks [LSU]
An athletic freak, but an incredibly raw CB that was burried on the LSU bench behind multiple 1st round picks.
