Thread: Give An Early Grade of the Bears 2012 Draft

1st: DE Shea McClellin
A strong player with a lot of potential. He is aggressive, stout, and can hold off linemen and smother tight ends at the point of attack. He has no problem tackling and is a good pass rusher. Grade: A-

2nd: WR Alshon Jeffery
He's a lanky prospect who uses his size well to make plays on the ball downfield. He has a massive pair of hands to go with his long arms and is an elite receiver once the ball is in the air. Good size and weight. Grade: A-

3rd: FS Brandon Hardin
Hardin is a physical cover corner who excels playing up close to the line. He has serious value for a Cover 2 team that likes big and physical corners who can support in the flats. He is a good athlete and has impressive hip fluidity for a man of his size. Unfortunately he has been held back significantly by injuries throughout his career. Grade: B

4th: TE Evan Rodriguez
He is a serviceable player at the next level in the short passing game. Rodriguez is almost nonexistent in the pass game, and his athletic ability is suspect when attempting to get to the second level and block linebackers. Grade: C

6th: CB Asaiah Frey
An athletic corner with athleticism and quickness, that's it. Grade: D-

7th: CB Greg McCoy
??? Grade: D-

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Overall: C


I gotta say, I'm kinda disppointed in this draft. Really thought Emery would go out there and address our needs with the best players available. Unfortunately he didn't. First three picks were great and then Emery started to look exactly like Jerry Angelo.

He filled some holes but we still have the worst offensive line in the league. Yeah I know, TE Rodriguez can catch and block and blah blah blah. But he's NOT an offensive lineman. A TE wasn't a need. Period! We all know what will happen if we can't protect Cutler. And Webb is definitely not the answer at LT.

We needed a cornerback but Frey and McCoy certainly weren't bpa. We also cut Anthony Adams and let Okoye sign with the Bucs, but didn't draft a DT. Why? We could've got guys like Jared Crick instead of Rodriguez. Oh well...

And what about a backup linebacker for the future? If Urlacher and/or Briggs goes down we're pretty much fvcked.


Boy, I really hope Emery knows what he's doing. I really like our first three picks but the other three are kinda useless. Only time will tell. Still, I'm happy with McClellin, Jeffery and Hardin, really excited to see them wearing a Bears uniform.

Go Bears!!!



p.s.: Let's hope Matt Forte will sign the deal next week and end all the drama.

Originally Posted by Dagan81

We're chalk full of OGs, but what we needed were OTs. We didn't get one, and now we only have two starters left on the team who are OTs and one who is play LG. You can thank Tice for that logic.

Dags my guess is we will sign a vet or 2 to be a backup/swing OT.

I'm going with C+ also. That is based on my opinion of what we should have done which of course may be wrong. I thought we were not getting enough defensive pressure - I also understand that most of that was due to only having one effective DE and now that we have two (hopefully), that will change. Even so, I didn't see enough to make me think that we were a dominating line in the middle.

I also think at the very least we needed more depth at OT. I think we need an upgrade - I like dominance. I think Webb will actually be decent in a new scheme, but I just don't see him being dominant although I would like to be proved wrong. So either way I think we needed another OT.

Based on drafting 2 CBs - neither of which may make it anyway - I would have liked him go to one of the other choices on one of those selections.

I don't think we needed two more CBs (at least in the lower rounds), so either he was unsure of the first one, thinks we need lots of backup or just didn't see value anywhere else. I would submit that with his last pick, I would have taken a roll on almost any other OT or DT and had about as much chance of the guy sticking anyway, but at least we would have had a shot at a continued position of need.

I do like that he went after what many of us saw as needs. We will have to sww how they play in the season.

Like most here overall I liked our draft but the last two picks I didn't get. I do understand picking Rodriguez after listening to Emery talk about it. Clutts will not be on the field much if any if Emery has his way (which I'm fine with). He's says Rodriguez is a need for the type of offense Tice will be running. Should be very interesting.

Multimedia - Chicago Bears (Click on the "Emery on Rodriguez pic" on the left).

Originally Posted by motownbear

I dont think we sign any oline probably move Williams to lt and carimi rt with rachal and Louis g and garza c

You might be right Mo. But I hope you're not. We need more depth at OT.

Originally Posted by motownbear

I dont think we sign any oline probably move Williams to lt and carimi rt with rachal and Louis g and garza c

That's the way I'm seeing it too. CWill or Carimi will at least get looks at LT. Even if they don't start we need to have something prepared as a contingency as long as Webb is still on shaky ground out there. We've got OG's coming out of our ears, asses, nose and mouth so maybe one of those guys can also play some OT and provide depth in a hopefully better way than OMG did. Should we box up his old matador capes and send them along to Pete Carroll?

Originally Posted by BearJim

Like most here overall I liked our draft but the last two picks I didn't get. I do understand picking Rodriguez after listening to Emery talk about it. Clutts will not be on the field much if any if Emery has his way (which I'm fine with). He's says Rodriguez is a need for the type of offense Tice will be running. Should be very interesting.

Multimedia - Chicago Bears (Click on the "Emery on Rodriguez pic" on the left).

This video clip is most interesting, so thanks for the post, Jim. Emery very confidently delivers his answers in the most assured way possible, so I feel a little bit better about who we drafted just because of that. It's interesting how he said that Greg McCoy could be a kick returner with his speed given that he's going to be competing for the fifth-or-sixth corner slot on the team if memory serves me correctly, and how Isaiah Frey was the best CB on their board at the back end of the draft. I'm a little shocked that he drafted so many corners while not going after a DT or OT or LB, but hey, who am I to argue with Jerry Angelo's replacement?