2012 NFL Mock Draft: Defense or Offensive Tackle for Chicago Bears in Round 1?
Published by Zach Kruse on March 23, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
For the third time this offseason, the Chicago Bears have made a move to address a gaping hole on the offensive side of the football.
Thursday’s signing of running back Michael Bush was just the latest, adding to the Bears’ additions of Brandon Marshall and Jason Campbell over the last week and a half.
But now that Chicago has fixed several problems offensively, where will the team look with its first pick in April’s NFL draft? Let’s quickly run through the most likely possibilities, in no particular order:
Offensive Tackle
The Bears offensive line is still a problem and adding an offensive tackle could finally add some stability against edge rushers. At the end of the day, J’Marcus Webb simply isn’t a starting left tackle for a Super Bowl contender.
If Jonathan Martin slips, Chicago would be hard-pressed to let him slide further than No. 19. The Bears may not want to use back-to-back first-round picks on an offensive tackle, however.
Pass-Rusher
The Bears haven’t been secretive about their interest in pass-rushers during free agency. They’ve yet to acquire one, but the continued interest signals that the team wants more from whichever player lines up opposite Julius Peppers next season.
And after three offensive moves in free agency, the Bears might want to look defense early in the draft. Several quality rushers could be available at No. 19, and, if I had to bet, I’d say Lovie Smith puts in a strong push for this pick to be a defensive player.
Receiver
Adding Marshall was a start to revamping the passing game, but the Bears may still want to find an underneath guy that can cause matchup problems.
A guy like Kendall Wright of Baylor could be difficult to pass up, and Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) has also been mentioned as a possibility.
2012 NFL Mock Draft
1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (via trade with St. Louis Rams)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
4. Cleveland Browns: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (via trade with Washington Redskins)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, NT Memphis
12. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Perry, DE, USC
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB/S, Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinton Coples, DL, North Carolina
16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
17. Cincinnati Bengals: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
19. Chicago Bears: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
20. Tennessee Titans: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
22. Cleveland Browns: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
23. Detroit Lions: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
25. Denver Broncos: Devon Still, DT, Penn State
26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
27. New England Patriots: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
28. Green Bay Packers: Fletcher Cox, DL, Mississippi State
29. Baltimore Ravens: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
30. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Thompson, DL, Clemson
31. New England Patriots: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
32. New York Giants: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
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