Chicago Bears Mock Draft: 7-Round Predictions, Post-Combine
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox descended upon Indianapolis last week to get an up-close look at this year's draft class at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Both spoke for the first time last week since Fox's introductory press conference in January, and they made it clear they are still evaluating their roster. They have identified some needs, but they were unwilling to divulge any information.
“That’s ongoing,” Pace said last Wednesday, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “I’d rather keep some of that in-house for now. But I’m excited about free agency approaching and the draft, and we’ll be able to address those (needs).”
Fox views the roster as a "clean slate," and he and Pace are working toward building a winner. Fox said, via Wiederer:
"It’s kind of a clean-slate, start-fresh (approach). We’ve got to analyze everything. And honestly, it goes beyond the players. It’s the entire building. You have to identify, OK, why has there been a lack of success? And we have to fix that.
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While in Indianapolis, Pace and Fox had the opportunity to watch prospects run various drills and got to interview those they were interested in. The Bears have plenty of needs on both sides of the football, but it seems likely they will be looking closely at the defensive side of the ball come late April.
Fox made the announcement last week that the Bears will be moving to a 3-4 defense in 2015 under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
"#Bears coach John Fox says "we're going to be in a 3-4 (defense) terminology wise" but players will help define what defense will look like.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 18, 2015"
Now that the Bears know what sort of defense they want to run next season, they can key in on which players can have an impact in their new defense.
Here is our Chicago Bears mock draft following the NFL Scouting Combine.
1st Round: Dante Fowler, Edge-Rusher, Florida
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With the Bears making the move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense in 2015, finding efficient pass-rushers is going to be key.
The team could look to free agency to find an impact player who can rush the passer as an outside linebacker, or it could look to the 2015 draft to find a young player it can develop.
Pace spoke at the combine about how important pass-rushers are for a defense, via CSNChicago.com's John Mullin:
"looking at OLB, "Pass rush is the No. 1 priority" per #Bears GM Ryan Pace - has been in both 3-4 and 4-3 sets with #Saints
— John Mullin (@CSNMoonMullin) February 18, 2015"
The Bears could have a handful of pass-rushers to choose from when they select seventh overall, and Florida's Dante Fowler may be too difficult to pass up.
He has experience playing defensive end in a three-point stance, but he is likely best suited playing outside linebacker in the NFL.
He is quick and explosive off the ball and has underrated strength at the point of attack. He is still raw as a pass-rusher because he relies too heavily on just his speed and will need to develop more countermoves, but he has drawn comparisons to Baltimore's Terrell Suggs.
"Like the 6'3", 260-pound Suggs, Fowler lacks ideal length for some schemes but he's a passionate, productive edge-rusher with Pro Bowl upside," wrote CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler and Rob Rang.
Fowler does not have eye-popping stats—14.5 sacks in three seasons—but some believe he will be far more productive at the NFL level.
"He's had to play at different weights and different spots on the field, and I think he's finally understanding how to use his athleticism to dominate a game," an AFC East college director of scouting said, via NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He will be way better in the pros than what he is now."
The idea that Fowler could be "way better" in the pros may be scary for some Bears fans after watching a high-upside player like Shea McClellin struggle for the Bears since being drafted 19th overall in 2012, but Fowler is the same type of player both Fox and Fangio have had success with in the past.
Fox was able to get tremendous production out of Von Miller in Denver, while Fangio had success with Aldon Smith in San Francisco. Fowler could be viewed as a mix of the two players and has an opportunity to develop into one of the best pass-rushers in this year's draft.
If the Bears want to start building a potent defense, selecting Fowler would be an ideal place to begin.
2nd Round: Denzel Perryman, Inside Linebacker, Miami
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While adding someone like Fowler in the first round would certainly be a major upgrade for the Bears, there is still a need to add more youth and depth on the defensive side of the football.
The Bears could look again to add a pass-rusher or possibly a nose tackle, but they still have a glaring need at inside linebacker.
Third-year man Jon Bostic will likely begin next season as one of the team's starting inside linebackers, leaving a void at the other starting position. Bostic is athletic and showed some promise in coverage last season, meaning the team will need to find a run-stopper to play alongside him.
Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney could be an intriguing option, but it appears unlikely he will make it out of the first round. If the Bears are lucky, Miami's Denzel Perryman will still be on the board when they make their pick in the second round.
During his four years in Miami, Perryman recorded 343 total tackles with 17.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
He has his limitations in pass coverage, but he is terrific against the run. He measured in at 5'11" and 236 pounds at the combine and is a bit shorter than most NFL linebackers. Despite his size, he developed into one of the most feared linebackers at the collegiate level and would help bring some much-needed toughness to Chicago's defense.
While he is tremendous against the run, teams will likely try and attack him in the passing game.
"He's physical and plays angry at the point of attack. He's the type of guy you like having on your team because he brings toughness to practice," an AFC East regional scout said, via Zierlein. "He's going to lay the wood to ball carriers when he gets a chance but college teams were already finding ways to go after him in the passing game."
He likely will not be a perennial Pro Bowler, but Perryman is a perfect fit in a 3-4 defense because of his ability to attack the ball-carrier as well as read and diagnose plays. He won't be making flashy plays on a consistent basis, but he could end up being one of the team's best run-stoppers for years to come.
3rd Round: Henry Anderson, Defensive End, Stanford
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If the Bears address outside and inside linebacker in the first two rounds, they could turn their focus toward improving the defensive line in the third round.
While the team has a major need in the secondary—particularly at free safety—Stanford defensive end Henry Anderson's upside may be too difficult to pass on.
Anderson posted 142 total tackles with 32 tackles for loss and 17 sacks in four seasons for the Cardinal. He split time between nose tackle and defensive end, but he projects better as a 5-technique defensive end in the NFL.
Lamarr Houston will likely hold down one of the 5-technique positions for the Bears next season when he returns from his ACL injury, but the team currently does not have any other players on the roster who can play the position.
Anderson has a good first step, plays with a relentless motor and gets his hands up on passing plays when he can't find his way to the quarterback.
He is tall and slender and will need to add some weight to be effective in the NFL, but he showed at the combine he is doing what he can to bulk up, via Josh Norris of Rotoworld.com:
"#Stanford DL Henry Anderson: 6'6" 294 lbs 0 33 1/2" arms - 9 3/4" hands. Up 7 pounds since Senior Bowl.
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) February 20, 2015"
Five-techniques are typically more reliant on their strength to plug gaps versus the run, and while Anderson can do that, he also showed an ability to get after the quarterback by using his speed and athleticism while at Stanford.
He is a bit of a tweener because he is more athletic than most 5-techniques, but if he can pack on a few more pounds, he has the ability to develop into a 5-technique who can not only stop the run, but can also get pressure on the quarterback.
The Bears could look to address the position in free agency, but even if they do, Anderson could help provide depth and could eventually develop into an impact player.
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4th Round: Bryce Petty, Quarterback, Baylor
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Even though the Bears still have quarterback Jay Cutler under contract, the team would be wise to look in the draft to find his eventual replacement.
The 2015 draft is very thin at the position, with only Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as first-round locks, but there are still a handful of players who could potentially develop into solid NFL starters.
The Bears have been trying to determine what they are going to do with Cutler this season and beyond, and Fox noted their evaluation of him is not over.
"I don't think there's any question there's ability and talent there, but a lot more goes into it and we're evaluating that as we speak," Fox said of Cutler, via David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
Regardless of whether Cutler is in Chicago next season, there is a huge need for youth and depth at the position. The team drafted David Fales last season in the sixth round, but he was just average at best in the preseason.
If the team decides to look at the position in the draft, it may be able to get great value with a guy like Baylor's Bryce Petty in the fourth round.
He spent the last two seasons as a starter for Baylor, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 8,195 yards with 62 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.
He holds up well in the pocket, is unafraid to roll outside if he feels pressure and has solid deep-ball accuracy. The biggest knock on Petty is he spent his career at Baylor running a one-read system, meaning he never really needed to work through his progressions like he will need to in the NFL.
Another area he will need to work on is play-calling. He admitted at the combine he has little experience having plays brought into the huddle, via 670TheScore.com's Dan Durkin:
"Baylor QB Bryce Petty just said the Senior Bowl was the first time he had plays brought into the huddle. Used a signal system at Baylor.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) February 19, 2015"
Since he has little experience reading and diagnosing defenses, he'll likely need to sit and learn for a season or two.
"Offenses that ask quarterbacks to look to the sidelines so coaches can make the pre-snap reads will never crank out NFL-ready quarterbacks," an AFC West area scout said in regard to Petty, via Zierlein. "Those quarterbacks all need redshirt years in the league."
If the team decides to move forward with Cutler for a season or two, Petty could sit and learn the offense before getting an opportunity to prove himself whenever Cutler is gone.
6th Round: Joey Mbu, Defensive Tackle, Houston
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Chicago does not have a fifth-round pick this season after it traded its 2014 and 2015 fifth-rounders to Denver last May to move up and select Minnesota's Brock Vereen with the 131st overall pick.
Once the sixth round comes along, the Bears will have an opportunity to take some chances on players who are a bit lesser known.
They could look to add a speedy wide receiver or another tight end to complement Martellus Bennett, but they still have needs on the defensive side of the football.
Even though they took defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton in the second and third rounds last year, the team still needs to add young players who can make an immediate impact along the defensive line.
Houston's Joey Mbu could give the team flexibility along the line because he has the potential to play either the nose tackle or 5-technique position.
He plays well against the run but lacks ideal burst off the ball. He can tire out easily and will need to improve his conditioning at the next level, but his performance in the Senior Bowl in January caught the attention of those in the draft community, via Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated:
"Re-watching lesser-known draft prospects, and Houston DT Joey Mbu stands out. Great strength, good speed, shoots gaps, splits double teams.
— Doug Farrar (@SI_DougFarrar) February 16, 2015"
He does not offer much in terms of a pass rush, but his ability to eat up gaps and open up lanes for linebackers should translate to the NFL.
He is still raw and would benefit from more time in the weight room, but he could be another solid addition to Chicago's defensive line.
7th Round: Matt Jones, Running Back, Florida
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Chicago used a fourth-round pick on running back Ka'Deem Carey in last year's draft, but the Bears could still be in the market for another running back when this year's draft comes around.
Starter Matt Forte is set to become a free agent after the 2015 season, and the Bears will need to start looking for his eventual replacement.
While Carey could eventually develop into the starter once Forte is gone, the team would be wise to draft another running back this year.
Forte and Carey will shoulder the load in 2015, but both lack the ability to be short-yardage backs, and Florida's Matt Jones could immediately step in and fill that role.
In three seasons in Gainesville, Jones rushed for 1,431 yards on 297 carries with 11 touchdowns. Often overshadowed by more dynamic athletes, Jones is terrific between the tackles and has a knack for keeping his feet moving when trying to pick up extra yards.
He needs to improve his vision and lane recognition, but he could find a niche in the NFL as a third-down back.
Zierlein compared Jones to former Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis and likes his upside, writing:
"Has very good athleticism for a big running back and is a physical pile-mover who is difficult to stop for negative yardage. Unfortunately, Jones lacks the instincts and vision to fully maximize his physical tools. Jones could become the physical member of a running-back-by-committee approach, with upside as a third-down option.
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He would not be expected to come in and take immediate reps away from either Forte or Carey, but he could help provide some much-needed power to a running game that has struggled in short-yardage situations in recent years.
All stats and combine information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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