Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

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spydermanj
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Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby spydermanj » Fri Mar 17, 2017 5:13 pm

Hey guys. As we all know, the Chicago Bears have tumbled during the regular season, ending up picking 3rd in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft later this year. In my personal opinion, I am pleased with Ryan Pace and his staff. He has done a great job rebuilding and adding valuable players to his team. He may not be the #1 GM in the league, but he has done a helluva job especially as one of the youngest. His 2016 draft was arguably the most productive and impactful of all of last year.

He has big things to do this offseason. Getting a new QB (not named Mike Glennon), fixing the porous secondary, getting capable WR’s that can snag the ball and adding depth to critical positions, considering the number one problem for the Bears this season was injuries above anything else.

So to help him out, (I kid) I present to you, the 2017 Mock Draft for the Bears.

(note: due to how unrealistic trading back could be for mock drafts can be, as well as finding willing partners for pick positions, there will be no trading back or forward in this mock. Sorry guys.)

ROUND ONE: PICK THREE
The Chicago Bears have a lot of intriguing options here. They could go for a person who will be pretty solid, or the person who has all of the intangibles to be a winner, to be a game changing talent on his legs or through the air.

That person is Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, QB.

Watson is the epitome of a proven winner, who comes up big when the team needs him to. He led the Clemson Tigers to TWO consecutive National Championship games, winning one in dramatic fashion, a late, TD pass with 2 seconds on the clock. He thrives under pressure, and has the ability to escape the pocket when needed, Watson has only been sacked 32 times over his last 1,181 dropbacks, scoring several touchdowns on the ground, and tiring defenses out. While not in possession of the strongest arm in the draft, he completes all of his passes with the necessary zip, touch and precision of a future Pro Bowler.

Though athletically gifted, Watson shows the best intangibles of any QB of the last 3 years in my personal opinion. He has a great love and understanding of the game, and there have been reports from scouts that his football IQ is so good, that it rivals Peyton Manning in college.

The Bears recently signed Mike Glennon, the backup QB in Tampa to a 3 year contract, though essentially only one year is guaranteed. That means that the Bears will be willing to look to the draft for an eventual successor. Watson’s biggest critics are those who complain about his 17 INT’s during the regular season and the fact that his offense was basic and sometimes he had control over the offense. But Jameis Winston had 18 in his final year, and Matty Ice had 20. Not only that, but that’s why the Bears have Glennon, who can be their QB while Watson develops to the faster paced NFL and elite level defenses. By Year 2, he should be the bonafide starter. And lead the Bears for seasons to come.

Other Choices: DT/DE Jonathan Allen would bring great value, but there are several concerns healthwise, as he has documented arthritis in BOTH of his shoulders, as well as surgeries for both. A healthy Allen would wreak havoc on offensive lines, but with injuries to a defensive lineman’s most vital areas is a giant red flag. He might be a great pick now, but what about in 5 years? The worst thing for Pace to do is to draft somebody injury-prone that won’t contribute down the line. Top 3 picks are hard to come by, so Pace can’t afford to screw it up. Not only that, but there are some reports that Derek Barnett or Solomon Thomas being more “complete” DE’s against the pass, rather than just being a run-stuffer. Plus the Bears have several edge rushers like exciting rookie, Leonard Floyd and veteran Willie Young piling up sacks already. Don’t waste an early pick like this on a luxury propect with several question marks in the health department.

S Jamal Adams: Adams is a good safety, a top 5 prospect with the ability to command a defense and scare opposing QB’s from throwing in his direction. With that being said, it is a reach to draft him this high. Don’t get me wrong, there are reasons why certain safeties are drafted high. Eric Berry for instance, is now the highest paid safety in the league after a career year, and thoughts of the late Sean Taylor, Ed Reed and Earl Thomas as game changing forces are an exciting possibility. But Adams technically declined last season. He’s more of an “in the box” kind of safety, as his 5 total career INT’s prove he is not a ballhawk, only one coming last season. The Bears need takeaways or INT’s and Adams just doesn’t produce those. And to top it off, this is probably the most deep defensive back class in the decade, with first round caliber CB’s and S’s being pushed back into the second and third round, based on depth of the position alone. The Bears have multiple mid round picks that they can use to steal a late first rounder or second rounder in other drafts. Using the 3rd pick on Adams in a draft full of great safeties is not smart.

ROUND TWO: PICK 36:
Now that the Bears have their QB of the future, they can turn back to the defensive side of the ball, and select a safety that in any other draft, would be a top 15 pick.

That person is Marcus Williams, S

Williams is an elite prospect and is like a smaller, more ballhawking Jamal Adams. He has 10 INT’s in the last two years, and is a great presence in the centerfield, making explosive plays and creating turnovers. Williams would immediately start alongside new signing Quentin Demps from Houston, creating a much better pair than Adrian Amos/Harold Jones-Quartey/Deon Bush ever did last season. With this pick, the safety position is taken care of and out of the way, immediately being upgraded from one of the Bears worst positions to one of the best.

While great at finding the ball, Williams does struggle sometimes with run support, and doesn’t fit well as in in the box safety. Adrian Amos can be switched out and played in obvious short yardage/run plays but Williams can resume his spot in long/yardage obvious passing downs. Another small problem is his ability to box-out over larger, more powerful recievers.Now don’t get me wrong, despite his small frame and the fact that some RB’s can shove him down or at least have a struggle, it doesn’t mean that Williams is inept at tackling. He piled up 188 tackles in three years, and he still has the drive and heart to deliver stunning hits. A offseason in the weight room should do the trick.

The bottom line is, with the draft loaded with defensive prospects, the Bears should take a piece of the of the pie. Marcus WIlliams would be a delicious slice.

ROUND THREE: PICK 67:
Now, with the safety position addressed and upgraded, the Bears can focus on giving Glennon/Watson some protection, and a tackle that could help improve the run game. Who is he?

The person is Western Michigan’s Taylor Moton, G/T.

Moton did a solid job last season for Western Michigan being in pass protection, only giving up a couple of sacks. I blame that on the fact that he had just switched from guard to tackle his senior season and some position changes rattle some. It doesn’t take away from the fact that he is a behemoth, a giant seemingly unmovable person, capable of standing their ground. He is also fantastic in run support, which is a great thing for breakout rookie Jordan Howard to continue his success. He constantly shuts down plays for as soon as he gets a hold of a defender, they go nowhere.

The biggest knocks on Moton are the fact that he is a tweener, alternately switching between G and T depending on the situation, and that based on the fact that he is a “tweener” that he may need more experience based on one solid position. The other problem is where he places his feet and generally his footwork while defending the rush. There have been times where he has slipped out of position, or the edge rusher goes one way, and then back the other way, his feet are slow and he relies on his hands as a blocker often too much.

But aside from that, he is a good player, with a mean streak, with the height, power and athleticism of a grizzly bear. His chances to be selected by the Bears only increases, due to the fact that Ryan Pace and his staff saw Moton up and close at the Senior Bowl. With the guard spots locked up for the Bears, and Eric Kush and Ted Larson being surprisingly good backups, expect Taylor Moton to compete for the right tackle spot, where the incumbent Bobby Massie, who really struggles here, holds the spot. At worst, this pick would be smart because the Bears desperately need depth and competition. Not only that, but being experienced in two positions along the right side can help. Moton is not the flashiest player, but he’s a heck of a good one.

OTHER CHOICES:
WR Zay Jones- East Carolina: I almost went with Zay Jones, but did not due to the fact of his stock rising from the Combine and the Senior Bowl. Jones has almost Alshon Jeffery-ish hands- he catches whatever is thrown at him. He is a big-bodied, hard to box out type of receiver, while still possessing top end speed. Before free agency, I would have picked him, but what held me back is that the Bears have signed 2 WRs in free agency, and another at the end of the offseason. Add those 3 (actually only two are even good) plus breakout WR Cameron Meredith who switched from QB (much like former Browns receiver Terrell Pryor), and the fact that Kevin White is still a work in progress (bust status if he has less than 500 yards next season, extra points if he breaks his left leg again for the 3rd time) and you have practically no room for another WR. Better to focus on positions of weakness than focus on another WR. There is plenty of decent prospects to tackle in the fourth round. Zay Jones might be gone before the end of the 2nd.

ROUNDS FOUR-SEVEN TOMORROW

Thanks for reading! Any questions or thoughts on this piece is appreciated!

Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

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Eros
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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby Eros » Sat Mar 18, 2017 12:40 pm

If i can give you my 2 cents i would never wish my team to draft Deshaun Watson with a top 10 pick. Or even a top 15 pick. The Bears have so many holes and they would really make a mistake to draft him with the 3rd overall. In my opinion with their 3rd overall pick the Bears, if they don't trade back to get more picks, should draft Jamal Adams or Solomon Thomas. Both have All Pro talent and they would provide immediate impact. Also they would provide a tough mentality and in the NFL you need such a thing.

Even with the 36 ovr pick they would be better to draft an OL or a CB. People are just getting caught in the hype with this year QB class. I think its the weakest since 2013. Since they signed Glennon the Bears have the luxury to wait for next year to draft a QB. The 2018 draft will be pretty special at the quarterback position with the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. They have franchise QB written all over them.

Anyway this is just my opinion :)

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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby 1312qohelet » Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:04 pm

Eros wrote:If i can give you my 2 cents i would never wish my team to draft Deshaun Watson with the a top 10 pick. Or even a top 15 pick. The Bears have so many holes and would really make a mistake to draft him with the 3rd overall. In my opinion with their 3rd overall pick the Bears if they don't trade back to get more picks they should draft Jamal Adams or Solomon Thomas. They have All Pro talent and they would provide immediate impact. Also they would provide a tough mentality and in the NFL you need such a thing.

Even with the 36 ovr pick they would be better to draft an OL or a CB. People are just getting caught in the hype with this year QB class. I think its the weakest since 2013. Since they signed Glennon the Bears have the luxury to wait for next year to draft a QB. The 2018 draft will be pretty special at the quarterback position with the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. They have franchise QB written all over them.

Anyway this is just my opinion :)

I agree.
As a lifetime Bears fan, I believe drafting DeShaun Watson that high would be a terrible mistake.
Yes, he's a phenomenal athlete and has a cannon for an arm.
But, he's never run anything close to a "Pro-Style Offense".
If we trade down and get end up with 2 first round picks, the I could see selecting Watson with a late first round, early second.

There are so many needs in other areas, i.e. O-Line, WR, and Secondary - Secondary - Secondary.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that they shouldn't be looking to upgrade at QB. I thought they should have been actively searching during the past three seasons.

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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby RevanFan » Sat Mar 18, 2017 7:54 pm

1312qohelet wrote:
Eros wrote:If i can give you my 2 cents i would never wish my team to draft Deshaun Watson with the a top 10 pick. Or even a top 15 pick. The Bears have so many holes and would really make a mistake to draft him with the 3rd overall. In my opinion with their 3rd overall pick the Bears if they don't trade back to get more picks they should draft Jamal Adams or Solomon Thomas. They have All Pro talent and they would provide immediate impact. Also they would provide a tough mentality and in the NFL you need such a thing.

Even with the 36 ovr pick they would be better to draft an OL or a CB. People are just getting caught in the hype with this year QB class. I think its the weakest since 2013. Since they signed Glennon the Bears have the luxury to wait for next year to draft a QB. The 2018 draft will be pretty special at the quarterback position with the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. They have franchise QB written all over them.

Anyway this is just my opinion :)

I agree.
As a lifetime Bears fan, I believe drafting DeShaun Watson that high would be a terrible mistake.
Yes, he's a phenomenal athlete and has a cannon for an arm.
But, he's never run anything close to a "Pro-Style Offense".
If we trade down and get end up with 2 first round picks, the I could see selecting Watson with a late first round, early second.

There are so many needs in other areas, i.e. O-Line, WR, and Secondary - Secondary - Secondary.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that they shouldn't be looking to upgrade at QB. I thought they should have been actively searching during the past three seasons.

He'll be long gone by the late first round.

And almost no quarterbacks run pro-style systems anymore. Just something you have to deal with.
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1312qohelet
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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby 1312qohelet » Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:55 am

RevanFan wrote:He'll be long gone by the late first round.

And almost no quarterbacks run pro-style systems anymore. Just something you have to deal with.

Oh, I agree. Somebody takes him with an early pick...it's even quite possible Chicago does.
I just think it would be a mistake.

I'm well aware that colleges rarely run a pro-style system....just the way it is.
It's tough on QB's coming in to the league.
It really puts a damper on the development of offensive lineman, as well

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spydermanj
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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby spydermanj » Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:06 pm

Eros wrote:If i can give you my 2 cents i would never wish my team to draft Deshaun Watson with a top 10 pick. Or even a top 15 pick. The Bears have so many holes and they would really make a mistake to draft him with the 3rd overall. In my opinion with their 3rd overall pick the Bears, if they don't trade back to get more picks, should draft Jamal Adams or Solomon Thomas. Both have All Pro talent and they would provide immediate impact. Also they would provide a tough mentality and in the NFL you need such a thing.

Even with the 36 ovr pick they would be better to draft an OL or a CB. People are just getting caught in the hype with this year QB class. I think its the weakest since 2013. Since they signed Glennon the Bears have the luxury to wait for next year to draft a QB. The 2018 draft will be pretty special at the quarterback position with the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. They have franchise QB written all over them.

Anyway this is just my opinion :)


I appreciate your opinion, however, I disagree. Jamal Adams is a great S, no doubt, but there have been no S's drafted higher than pick #5. Adams is not better than when Sean Taylor or even Eric Berry were when they were picked, both at #5. Adams is not, and probably will never be a ball hawk, as his 5 career INT's prove. Also, like I said in the mock, there are too many good defensive backs in this draft, with several falling to later rounds because of the sheer amount of talent present. Picking a safety at #3 is not smart in a draft full of good ones.

Solomon Thomas is a great DE, yes and I partially agree with him at this pick. But like I said about the safeties, there are too many good edge rushers in this draft to pick one up that early.

Now on the other hand, the QB class is pretty mediocre. Deshaun Watson is the best of them. Mitch Trubisky is good, but only a few games worth of film. Kizer has the experience and the physical gifts but is too inconsistent and his team suffered. Deshaun on the other hand, delivered an ultra clutch performance against #1 Alabama, beating them with a last second TD and giving the Tigers a championship they haven't won in 35 years.

You know who else has had a championship drought? The Chicago Bears.

Then again, the 2018 class will have at least a top QB in Sam Darnold. Jalen Hurts might also enter. And Glennon is essentially signed for a year and a half of guaranteed money. Maybe you are right.

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Re: Chicago Bears Mock Draft 1.1 (Post Combine- Mid Free Agency)

Postby achernar » Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:14 pm

spydermanj wrote:Then again, the 2018 class will have at least a top QB in Sam Darnold. Jalen Hurts might also enter. And Glennon is essentially signed for a year and a half of guaranteed money. Maybe you are right.


Sam Darnold could fall... like Christian Hackenberg did in a couple years ago...
and i see a lot of similarities in them;


Jalen Hurts will not be able to declare... true freshman last year... maybe in the 2019 NFL Draft...
and i don't believe he will evolve to a first round draft quaterback caliber;
in fact he could even lost his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa next season.... it's hard to know...


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