Chicago Bears' Draft Scouting Guide for the 2015 Senior Bowl

It has been a fast and furious couple of weeks for the Chicago Bears, with the hiring of general manager Ryan Pace, head coach John Fox, offensive coordinator Adam Gase, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

The craziness is only just beginning, too.

The Reese's Senior Bowl is underway in Mobile, Alabama, where the best college seniors and NFL hopefuls take part in the first major scouting event of the offseason. The Bears sent a group of representatives to Mobile to watch and interview members of the North and South squads in advance of the 2015 NFL draft.

While new head coach John Fox did not make the trip—he stayed back in Chicago to continue the process of hiring a coaching staff—new general manager Ryan Pace is taking part in his first scouting event as a member of the Bears organization.

Until the Bears make a decision on the future of quarterback Jay Cutler and decide on a defensive scheme, it will be somewhat difficult to get a strong feel as to which players the Bears might be looking at this week. There are a few positions of definite need. 

Let's now take a look at a few of those positions and a couple of players to keep an eye on this week. 

Free Safety

Butch Dill/Associated Press

The Bears will be in need of a starting free safety once Chris Conte leaves in free agency. There isn’t one guy currently on the roster who’s capable of filling the role, so the Bears will be looking in free agency and the draft.

Here are two free safeties to keep an eye on:

Samford FS Jaquiski Tartt, 6’1”, 220 lbs

NFL media analyst Charles Davis says Tartt is an “absolute missile” and has “SEC skills” despite playing in the FCS.

Tartt runs a 4.46 40-yard dash and has great size for the position. While he tackles in run support better than most, he needs to work on his coverage abilities before being considered a top-round talent.

"They really think I'm an in-the-box guy, so being able to prove that I can stick with slot receivers will hopefully improve my draft stock," said Tartt, via Mike Herndon of AL.com. "I'm an all-around guy."

Ole Miss FS Cody Prewitt, 6’2”, 212 lbs

Prewitt is the kind of player who can step in immediately and be the best safety on the roster. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he does have great range, above-average field awareness and great ball skills. The Ole Miss free safety has the size and strength to match up against some of the division’s bigger pass-catchers.

Prewitt should be available for the Bears in the middle rounds, most likely third or fourth.

Inside Linebacker

Dean Hare/Associated Press

Two of the three linebackers who started the 2014 season for Chicago—Lance Briggs and D.J. Williams—are set to hit free agency, making this a position of need for the Bears.

As it sits now, Christian Jones and Jon Bostic are the only two starting-caliber linebackers on the roster, so the Bears will more than likely target two in the draft.

Here are two to keep an eye on:

USC ILB Hayes Pullard, 6’0”, 236 lbs

Pullard used his speed and quickness to become one of the Trojans’ best defensive players during the 2014 season. Pullard lacks size but makes up for it with instinct, using his brain to put himself in position to shed blockers before getting caught up in the wash.

A four-year starter at USC, Pullard has the required skill set to be a successful linebacker in the NFL. He’s a guy the Bears should look for in the fourth or fifth round.

Cincinnati LB Jeff Luc, 6’0”, 263 lbs

Luc started his career at Florida State, where he was touted as one of the nation’s best inside linebackers, before finishing his career at Cincinnati.

Few players have drawn as much interest this week as Luc. The Bearcats linebacker is one of the hardest hitters in Mobile, and his stock is skyrocketing as a result. He demonstrates great downhill speed that allows him to break into the backfield and wrap up ball-carriers easier than most.

Luc entered Senior Bowl Week as a likely sixth- or seventh-round projection, but he’s well on his way to playing himself into the middle rounds of the draft, if not higher.

Quarterback

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Because a decision has yet to be made on the future of quarterback Jay Cutler, the Bears must prepare for multiple scenarios. One consists of selecting a quarterback in the first few rounds of the 2015 NFL draft.

Here are two players to watch:

Colorado State QB Garrett Grayson, 6’2”, 215 lbs

Compared to some of the other quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, Grayson has somewhat flown under the radar thus far. Grayson has all the tools to be an NFL quarterback—solid footwork, zip on his throws and above-average accuracy on intermediate-to-deep throws.

On the flip side, Grayson needs to work on progressing through his reads quicker and his feel in the pocket. Grayson struggles when he can’t find a passing option and is forced to make a play with his feet.

While Grayson very much is a work in progress, this kid can be a great NFL quarterback with the right coaching. The Bears should be able to get some value here with Grayson, locking him up in the third or fourth round.

Baylor QB Bryce Petty, 6’3”, 230 lbs

Petty is one of the more polarizing quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl. He probably has the highest ceiling as well as the biggest bust factor of any football thrower in attendance. He operates in the pocket with solid football and a quick release on all of his throws. Petty might be the best deep passer on either team.

Like Grayson, his biggest weakness is making plays with his feet when his options run out. The words “system quarterback” come to mind at times when watching Petty, but it’s still too soon to determine what kind of quarterback he will be in the NFL. It all depends on the system of the team that drafts him.

Offensive Line

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Offensive line play was an issue for the Bears during the 2014 season. All five starters missed at least one game due to injury. Right tackle Jordan Mills no longer looks like a starter at that position.

There’s a chance the Bears move two-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, the best O-lineman on the team, to left tackle, where he belongs, which would leave a hole on the right side.

Here are two players to watch:

Duke G Laken Tomlinson, 6’3”, 323 lbs

Tomlinson is a four-year starter who hasn’t allowed a sack in the past two seasons. He is one of the more technically sound offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. He’s equally strong blocking the run and protecting the quarterback and more than likely will be one of the smarter linemen on the field at any given time.

If there’s one thing Tomlinson needs to work on before the draft, it is his lateral movement.

As of right now, he’s likely looking at a third- to fourth-round grade.

Wisconsin T Rob Havenstein, 6’7”, 332 lbs

At this stage, Havenstein is best suited to be a right tackle in the NFL. He’s strong in the run game, using his enormous legs to push defenders out of position. Against pass-rushers, Havenstein does a good job of getting his feet in position to push them to the outside and away from the quarterback.

Havenstein entered Senior Bowl Week with a third- to fourth-round projection.