Chicago Bears NFL Draft Grade: Why the Bears Botched Their First-Round Pick
Published by Oliver Crawford III on May 1, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
With the No.19 overall pick, the Chicago Bears opted to draft Shea McClellin out of Boise State. This is an obvious botched pick for several reasons. McClellin is not an ideal player for the 4-3 scheme that Chicago is known for, and he is much more suited for a 3-4 scheme.
McClellin is a great athlete, but for the 4-3 scheme you typically need an end with great size. At 6’3″ and 260 pounds, this player simply just does not have the size ideal for a rush end. He is a bit of a tweener, and will likely either add weight and move to the interior, or possibly drop a few pounds and move to linebacker.
Either way you cut it, he is a work in progress, and Chicago could have looked for a sure thing to come in and contribute immediately. You simply will not get that with McClellin, at least not right now.
If the coaching staff wanted to add a defensive end to complement Julius Peppers, there were several players available that would have been a much better fit. One of those players with outstanding potential is Chandler Jones.
Jones was a standout defensive end at Syracuse, and has great size at 6’5” and 265 pounds. He would gain a lot from learning technique from Peppers, but this guy would be an absolute monster on the outside.
Two other defensive players that could have come in and made a huge splash right away are Dont’a Hightower out of Alabama and Whitney Mercilus out of Illinois. Hightower played for the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, and you have to love that he thrived in the SEC.
He is bigger than McClellin at 6’4” and 260 pounds, and played against much better competition every week. He has great versatility as well, and could add weight and slide down to defensive end, or help shore up an aging linebacker core.
Mercilus would have been a great option as well, particularly if the Bears were sold on drafting a d-lineman. He led the nation in sacks with 16, and forced fumbles with nine; he also was the bright spot for Illinois on defense. He is a natural pass-rusher, and has a great frame at 6’4” and 265 pounds.
Chicago could have also looked on the offensive side of the ball with this pick, and addressed an area of huge need, which is on the o-line. Everyone knows that Jay Cutler needs to be protected, and he has been obliterated in the past few seasons.
In 2011 the Bears ranked No.27 in sacks allowed, giving up 49 on the season. That is flat out garbage play on the offensive line, and there were plenty of o-linemen available at No.19.
One player who would have been an upgrade is David DeCastro, the talented guard out of Stanford. He was an animal for the Stanford Cardinal, and at 6’5” 320 pounds, he is a load in the trenches. He’s also a great run-blocker, and would have been an asset blocking for both Matt Forte and Michael Bush.
The Bears desperately need to address the offensive line, and it would have made perfect sense to look to this position with the draft.
Overall, Chicago did a great job fulfilling certain needs in this year’s draft, specifically with their second round selection of Alshon Jeffery, the receiver out of South Carolina. However, their first-rounder was a botched pick, not that he can’t be a player down the line, but the coaching staff reached here.
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