Bears Blitz

Published by Andrew Garda on April 16, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

As we hurtle towards the start of the NFL draft, Bleacher Report is getting you prepped for the event with wall-to-wall draft articles.

As a side note, I will be live at the draft for the third year in a row thanks to Aaron Nagler and Corey Behnke of CheeseheadTV.com. So make sure you follow me on Twitter and keep an eye on the NFC North blog for my takes and updates from Radio City. Assuming the wireless holds up this year which…well, it’s been rough.

Today we start a new series of pieces which will focus on what is the best case and worst case scenario picks for every round.

We kick things off with Chicago today. In case you’d forgotten, here is the list of draft picks the Bears have to work with come April 26th.

• First round, No. 19 overall
• Second round, No. 50 
• Third round, No. 79  
• Fourth round, No. 111
• Fifth round, No. 150
• Sixth round, No. 184
• Seventh round, No. 220

The Bears have all their picks, which is good because they really need to maximize all of them this year.

Before we get started—this is my list. I know that the Bears keep promising that the offensive line is fine. It’s not. Maybe they will carry through on their plans to ignore it early, in which case they may be in for a long season.

However, this is my list as I see things and as I think they should be.

Other than that, I know you’ll let me know how you feel in the comments.

Let’s do this.

Round 1, No. 19

I still say best case scenario is exactly what I put in my mock draft a few weeks back: Stanford O-lineman David DeCastro would be their answer to either guard or tackle. 

The offensive line is OK—are they kidding me? I’ve said it numerous times, but the issues with the offensive line were there long before Mike Martz came and made it worse. DeCastro kept Luck upright—he can keep Cutler standing. 

If DeCastro is gone (and he might be), they should grab Alabama safety Mark Barron. The secondary could use some help, but more importantly, Barron would be a great fit and is hugely talented. He would push the current players for time as well as contribute early and is a step up from anyone on the roster.The hernia is not an issue, so don’t sweat it when someone talks about it. 

Round 2, No. 50 

Assuming they lock up the offensive line in Round 1, then they would turn their attention to the secondary and likely a cornerback.  

Nebraska’s Alfonzo Dennard might be there, and in the best case scenario version, this physical corner would be a great grab for the Bears. He’s tough to get off a press and can play zone as well as man coverage. A bit short, but still a good value in the middle of the second.

If that falls through, Rutgers wide receiver Mohamad Sanu should be on the board. Sanu doesn’t fill a huge need, but the Bears will require a wide receiver to work across from Brandon Marshall. He’s a tall receiver who plays very physical off the line and is really hard to control.

Round 3, No. 79

If things play out as above, I retain the pick I had in my mock and would say Cam Johnson, the defensive end from Virginia. The third round might seem late, but with Peppers and Idonije there, the Bears can wait on it and pick up a prospect who can develop into a great player.

If it all falls apart, the Bears could look at a guy like The U’s OG Brandon Washington. Washington played both guard and tackle at Miami, but his technique is still a bit raw. His footwork is a bit inconsistent, and he gets a little upright. Still, at this point, more help on the offensive line would be good.

Round 4, No. 111

My love affair with Marvin Jones, WR from Cal, began at the Senior Bowl last February where he impressed me with his great hands and consistency all week. When asked about the dip in production his numbers took this past season, he merely said that they decided to go to the other guy more. But you could tell he was hungry.

The Bears need a wide receiver, but this is how deep the position class is. Although Marvin will get overlooked because of the dip in production, the Bears shouldn’t sleep on him if he’s here as he will fit perfectly across from Marshall.

If this doesn’t happen (or they get a receiver early), the Bears should think about adding some OLB depth with a guy like Jonathan Massaquoi from Troy. Massaquoi is a good pass-rusher who is a bit raw and has concerns about the level of play he faced at Troy. He’d be a good developmental player here in Round 4.

Round 5 No. 150

About now, best pick available can apply to the depth positions and a linebacker like Oklahoma’s Travis Lewis would be a good fit as a guy who can develop but also contribute early on. He’s a better run defender than a pass-rusher, but with Land Briggs back again, Lewis could learn by example.

If that doesn’t work out, I would look at some offensive line depth, such as Baylor center Philip Blake. Blake can fill in at right tackle in a pinch but is a bit older than most prospects at 25 (and he’s Canadian!).

Round 6, No. 184

I’ve always been a proponent of the idea that you should work on developing a quarterback prospect at all times. Cutler isn’t going anywhere, but look at the Patriots or Packers for examples of how to turn back-up QBs into value.

Chattanooga’s BJ Coleman is a project, plain and simple. At this point in the draft, a guy who doesn’t work out won’t burn you, but Coleman has the raw tools and the mentality to become a very good backup at least. He’s a very coachable prospect as well—all the signs point in his favor to make something of himself.

If a quarterback they like isn’t there, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in some depth behind Brian Urlacher. ILB Jerry Franklin from Arkansas is a good run stopper and loves to hit things. 

Round 7, No. 220

For a seventh-round pick, USC’s Chris Galippo would be a good developmental inside linebacker project who played in a Tampa 2 scheme (which Lovie Smith helped develop with Tony Dungy and Galippo’s old D coach Monte Kiffin) and was good in coverage. He has a quick first step and is great reading the defense but isn’t elite in size or speed, nor is he explosive.  

His familiarity with the Tampa 2 would translate pretty quickly to Cover 2, and he might have a role early if he can take advantage of that. 

If that isn’t possible, they can pad the secondary with a guy like East Carolina‘s Emmanuel Davis. Davis is a very physical cornerback despite his size. Really, a guy like Davis is a special teams hitter, and then if he can prove himself, he might get a shot in the secondary. Still, his aggressiveness would be very useful on the special teams.

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