Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2017 20:20:07 GMT -6
1st Round Picks for the Chicago Bears
By: Bryan Perez | 15 hours ago
The NFL draft is a funny thing. Expert mocks published in February are sure to be wildly inaccurate come April. It’s not because the authors are unqualified or lack skill; rather, the narrative around the prospects and the pecking order at the top of the draft always changes after the scouting combine and college pro days.
The Chicago Bears currently hold the third pick in the first round, and while there’s speculation they could trade their first-rounder to the Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo, there are several other teams also in the mix for New England’s backup quarterback making the Bears’ chances 50/50 at best.
Assuming they stay where they are in round one, the Bears are expected to choose between players like Alabama’s Jonathan Allen, LSU’s Jamal Adams, or any one of the three first-round worthy quarterbacks — UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
Despite the current expectation for how the third pick will be used, there are three players who could end up the Bears’ choice without much attention paid to them right now.
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Garrett is the favorite to go first overall to the Cleveland Browns, largely because he’s the best all-around player in the class. But as we’ve seen in drafts before, the best player doesn’t always come off the board first. Look no further than last year’s draft when Ohio State’s Joey Bosa was the clear top player in his class, yet he fell to the Chargers at the third pick.
The Browns are as desperate for a quarterback as the Bears. It wouldn’t be a shock if they went that route with the first choice, much like the Rams did last year with Jared Goff. The 49ers, too, need a franchise passer, and if they don’t make a move for one before the draft, we could see the first two picks mirroring 2016 when Carson Wentz went second overall to the Eagles. That left Bosa on the board for San Diego’s enrichment, and the Bears could be staring at Garrett for all the same reasons.
If Garrett slides to three, he’ll represent a no-brainer pick for Ryan Pace and the Bears’ front office. Pairing Garret with last year’s first-round Leonard Floyd would give Chicago the most talented duo of young pass rushers in the NFL.
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Lattimore is starting to get some top-three hype. It’s about time. He’s the most talented cornerback in this draft and arguably the most naturally gifted cover man to enter the NFL in the last few years. Lattimore is going to light up the scouting combine and could put his name in discussion for the Browns at No. 1.
The Bears need a true lockdown cornerback after the slowly failing pick that is Kyle Fuller. While Tracy Porter is a competent veteran worthy of starting in the league, he’s simply not good enough to
match up against the opposing team’s top target week in and week out. Lattimore would instantly elevate the level of athleticism and playmaking ability in the Bears’ secondary and be the most talented corner they’ve fielded in recent memory.
O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard has a chance to be the highest drafted tight end since Vernon Davis was the sixth pick of the 2006 NFL draft. His stock has climbed into top-10 territory following his standout performance at the Senior Bowl and it will continue to rise after his expected showing at the scouting combine. Howard is an elite prospect who predicted he’d run a 4.58 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6 and 249 pounds. Players with that combination of size and speed don’t come around often.
The Bears need to add playmakers on offense, especially in the passing game. While most would assume those playmakers reside at the wide receiver position, today’s NFL is tailor made for athletic tight ends to become primary options on an offense. Howard will have a Rob Gronkowski-like impact in the NFL, production that’s more than worthy of a top-five pick. If Chicago addresses quarterback with a veteran like Tyrod Taylor or chooses to add a young passer like Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) in round two, it’ll be hard to find a player with more elite upside than Howard at the third pick. Sure, it’s highly unlikely a tight end will be valued that high, but that’s what makes the NFL draft fun.
By: Bryan Perez | 15 hours ago
The NFL draft is a funny thing. Expert mocks published in February are sure to be wildly inaccurate come April. It’s not because the authors are unqualified or lack skill; rather, the narrative around the prospects and the pecking order at the top of the draft always changes after the scouting combine and college pro days.
The Chicago Bears currently hold the third pick in the first round, and while there’s speculation they could trade their first-rounder to the Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo, there are several other teams also in the mix for New England’s backup quarterback making the Bears’ chances 50/50 at best.
Assuming they stay where they are in round one, the Bears are expected to choose between players like Alabama’s Jonathan Allen, LSU’s Jamal Adams, or any one of the three first-round worthy quarterbacks — UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
Despite the current expectation for how the third pick will be used, there are three players who could end up the Bears’ choice without much attention paid to them right now.
Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Garrett is the favorite to go first overall to the Cleveland Browns, largely because he’s the best all-around player in the class. But as we’ve seen in drafts before, the best player doesn’t always come off the board first. Look no further than last year’s draft when Ohio State’s Joey Bosa was the clear top player in his class, yet he fell to the Chargers at the third pick.
The Browns are as desperate for a quarterback as the Bears. It wouldn’t be a shock if they went that route with the first choice, much like the Rams did last year with Jared Goff. The 49ers, too, need a franchise passer, and if they don’t make a move for one before the draft, we could see the first two picks mirroring 2016 when Carson Wentz went second overall to the Eagles. That left Bosa on the board for San Diego’s enrichment, and the Bears could be staring at Garrett for all the same reasons.
If Garrett slides to three, he’ll represent a no-brainer pick for Ryan Pace and the Bears’ front office. Pairing Garret with last year’s first-round Leonard Floyd would give Chicago the most talented duo of young pass rushers in the NFL.
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Lattimore is starting to get some top-three hype. It’s about time. He’s the most talented cornerback in this draft and arguably the most naturally gifted cover man to enter the NFL in the last few years. Lattimore is going to light up the scouting combine and could put his name in discussion for the Browns at No. 1.
The Bears need a true lockdown cornerback after the slowly failing pick that is Kyle Fuller. While Tracy Porter is a competent veteran worthy of starting in the league, he’s simply not good enough to
match up against the opposing team’s top target week in and week out. Lattimore would instantly elevate the level of athleticism and playmaking ability in the Bears’ secondary and be the most talented corner they’ve fielded in recent memory.
O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
Howard has a chance to be the highest drafted tight end since Vernon Davis was the sixth pick of the 2006 NFL draft. His stock has climbed into top-10 territory following his standout performance at the Senior Bowl and it will continue to rise after his expected showing at the scouting combine. Howard is an elite prospect who predicted he’d run a 4.58 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6 and 249 pounds. Players with that combination of size and speed don’t come around often.
The Bears need to add playmakers on offense, especially in the passing game. While most would assume those playmakers reside at the wide receiver position, today’s NFL is tailor made for athletic tight ends to become primary options on an offense. Howard will have a Rob Gronkowski-like impact in the NFL, production that’s more than worthy of a top-five pick. If Chicago addresses quarterback with a veteran like Tyrod Taylor or chooses to add a young passer like Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) in round two, it’ll be hard to find a player with more elite upside than Howard at the third pick. Sure, it’s highly unlikely a tight end will be valued that high, but that’s what makes the NFL draft fun.
