Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on May 1, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The question that a lot of Chicago Bears fans have been asking ever since Chicago made its first-round pick last Thursday night in the 2012 NFL draft has been, why pick Shea McClellin? 

There is a lot of mystery surrounding this pick, as the Bears seemingly reached for a player that had no fit in their type of defense.  There was also plenty of other talent on the board at the time, especially at offensive tackle. 

So, did the Bears make a mistake by selecting McClellin at the 19th spot in the first round? Or is all of this worrying for nothing?

Let’s take a look at the drafting of McClellin, why people appear to be so concerned about the selection and whether or not it was a good pick.

If you have read anything about McClellin, the thing that seems to stick out the most is that he appears better suited for a 3-4 defense than a 4-3 defense (which is what the Bears run). 

There are some that feel he’s a better outside linebacker prospect, a pass-rushing outside linebacker more than a hand-in-the dirt defensive end, which is what the Bears use (see Julius Peppers). 

McClellin is more of a stand-up guy, and that’s one of the criticisms that fans and experts are leveling at this pick.

Can McClellin succeed in the system that the Bears are running?  Can he become that hand-on-the-ground, pass-rushing defensive end that the Bears seem to covet? 

Time will tell, of course, but McClellin does have the athletic ability to fit in the kind of defense that the Bears run and could end up being a star if he’s used correctly. 

Let’s first see how the Bears plan to use him and how he performs before we pass judgment on how good of a player he is going to be.

The main issue that might be bothering fans and experts is who was left on the board when the Bears made their pick. 

Going into this draft, everyone knew that the Bears needed help on their offensive line, and even though guys like Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff and Stanford guard David DeCastro were available at No. 19, the Bears didn’t pick them. 

There were also some pass-rushers on the board that were considered to be “better” than McClellin, including Illinois defensive end/outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and USC defensive end Nick Perry, when the Bears made their pick. 

But Chicago let them slip by and picked McClellin, considering him to be a better fit.

For the next few years, fans and experts are going to compare McClellin’s play to that of other players that the Bears passed up in the draft.  If any one of those players has more success than McClellin, you can bet that people are going to be upset about the Bears’ pick. 

There will be a lot of “what ifs” surrounding the Bears’ selection, and I will admit that the pick was odd, especially with the talent that was left on the board.

But the Bears had their reasons, and we will just have to wait and see what McClellin does during his career in Chicago.

As fans, are you excited or down on this pick?  Do you think the Bears should have done something different?

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