2012 NFL Mock Draft: Will Chicago Bears Take WR or OT in First Round?
Published by Zach Kruse on February 13, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
A general consensus is beginning to building around what the Chicago Bears will do with their first round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and the targeted positions are blatantly obvious: Offensive tackle and wide receiver.
It’s fairly easy to formulate reasons why both are first-round needs this April.
The Bears haven’t had a true No. 1 receiver since the days of Marty Booker and Marcus Robinson, and in this day of NFL passing offenses, having a top level receiver is almost a requirement.
2011 free agent pickup Roy Williams was mostly a bust, catching 37 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Williams hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2006 with the Detroit Lions, and no one is expecting him to change that fact in coming seasons. He’s a free agent again this offseason.
Also, Johhny Knox is returning from a terrible back injury and can’t be counted on moving forward.
But while receiver is an obvious need, so is offensive tackle.
The Bears took Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he should be considered a starter at right tackle for the foreseeable future. Left tackle is far from settled, however.
Former seventh-round pick J’Marcus Webb has been the starter there for two seasons. The results have been mixed. According to Pro Football Focus, Webb allowed 12 sacks and committed 14 penalties in 2011—numbers that rank him near the bottom of offensive tackles. His overall grade put him at No. 67 out of 76 eligible offensive tackles last season.
The Bears also promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator, so there may be a heightened value on building the offensive line early in the draft.
Either way, you’d be hard pressed to say the Bears could go wrong with taking an offensive tackle or receiver at No. 19 overall. There will be value options at both, too.
Players such as Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright and Mohamed Sanu should all be available at receiver, and Mike Adams and Cordy Glenn could be options at offensive tackle.
In our latest mock draft, we switched the Bears from Floyd to Adams, as Ohio State’s monster tackle is a harder player to find than an impact receiver. Simply put, the amount of high caliber receivers that could be available in the second round far outweigh what will be there at offensive tackle.
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. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
6. St. Louis Rams – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford (Via trade with Washington Redskins)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
8. Carolina Panthers – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
9. Miami Dolphins – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
10. Buffalo Bills – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
11. Kansas City Chiefs – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
12. Seattle Seahawks – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
13. Arizona Cardinals – Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
14. Dallas Cowboys – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles – Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
16. New York Jets – Nick Perry, OLB, USC
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
18. San Diego Chargers – David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
19. Chicago Bears – Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
20. Tennessee Titans – Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
22. Cleveland Browns – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
23. Detroit Lions – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
25. Denver Broncos – Devon Still, DL, Penn State
26. Houston Texans – Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
27. New England Patriots – Mark Barron, S, Alabama
28. Green Bay Packers – Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
29. Baltimore Ravens – Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
30. San Francisco 49ers – Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
31. New England Patriots – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
32. New York Giants – Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
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