5 Best Options for the Chicago Bears with the No. 7 Pick in 2015 Draft

We are now less than two weeks away from the start of the NFL draft. The Chicago Bears hold the seventh overall pick and hope to land an immediate-impact player. 

Who are the best options for the Bears in the first round? The five best choices come from either the wide receiver or edge-rusher position. 

Despite the Marcus Mariota rumors from ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Pro Football Talk), he's not one of the best options due to his uncertainty. Mariota is a promising prospect, but he's not a can't-miss player like the five names we have here.

Missing from this list is USC's Leonard Williams, who's sure to be drafted by the time the Bears pick. We do have another potential top-five pick here who might slip to the Bears. Click ahead to see the names, and don't forget to share your thoughts below.  

Florida Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Dante Fowler Jr.

Phil Sandlin/Associated Press

The Bears addressed their edge-rusher needs in free agency by signing Pernell McPhee and Sam Acho, but don't think for one second they wouldn't want Dante Fowler Jr. 

At 6'3" and 261 pounds, Fowler ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash and certainly has the explosiveness to be an elite pass-rusher in the NFL. He can rush from the two- or three-point stance and has devastating moves to make even some of the best offensive tackles look bad. 

McPhee's signing is for the long haul, but Acho is only on a one-year deal. Ideally, the Bears would like to find one other cornerstone on the outside to pair with McPhee. Fowler can be that guy, but will he be on the board? 

Fowler's the cream of the crop in an excellent edge-rusher draft class. He's likely to go within the top five but still has to be considered the best option for the Bears at the slim chance he's there at seven. 

Alabama Wide Receiver Amari Cooper

Butch Dill/Associated Press

At the start of the offseason, it was hard to imagine the Bears being in the market for a wide receiver in the first round. The Brandon Marshall trade changed that, and now receiver is very much in play. 

There's a debate over whether Amari Cooper or West Virginia's Kevin White is the best receiver in the draft. Both are great options, but Cooper holds a slight edge. 

Cooper very well could be the most NFL-ready player in this draft. At 6'1" and 211 pounds, Cooper ran a 4.42 40-time and excelled in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. 

On the field, Cooper has great acceleration, body control and ball skills to excel against top defensive backs. He's a quarterback's dream due to his ability to get open and make big plays after the catch. 

Cooper is fast and athletic but not overly explosive. He is, however, a smart and consistent receiver in the mold of former Indianapolis Colts great Marvin Harrison. The Bears already have big-play threat Alshon Jeffery, so Cooper is a better fit as they rework their receiver position. 

West Virginia Wide Receiver Kevin White

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

When talking up Amari Cooper, it's important to not take anything away from Kevin White. White is big, powerful and explosive and will look to wreak havoc on the NFL. 

At 6'3" and 215 pounds, White is bigger than Cooper. He also showed better speed, running a 4.35-second 40-time, and put up 23 reps on the bench press. 

White has the perfect NFL frame and attacks the football at its highest point. Those two qualities make him a desired prospect and a perfect fit for any team looking to put points on the board. 

What White brings to the table over Cooper is upside. The sky's the limit for White, who could develop into one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the NFL. If Cooper is gone, the Bears still won't be losers by any stretch if they walk away with White. 

Clemson Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Vic Beasley

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

There should be a pretty basic plan for the Bears in the first round: take the best player on the board at either wide receiver or outside linebacker. 

If Fowler and both top receivers are gone, then the Bears need to shift their focus to the athletically gifted Vic Beasley. 

Beasley blew up the combine, running a 4.53 40-time, doing 35 bench-press reps, jumping 41 inches vertically and continuing the impressive trend in the broad jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. That's not bad for a guy who's 6'3" and 246 pounds. 

On the field, Beasley's speed and athleticism stay true to his combine numbers. He's often the first guy off the ball and can contort his body in a variety of different ways to get to the quarterback.

At times, his overanxiousness can get him in trouble, and he needs to bulk up to be consistent at the next level, but he's still a top prospect. With some coaching from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Beasley can be the Bears' version of 49ers All-Pro Aldon Smith. 

Missouri Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Shane Ray

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Shane Ray seems to be a forgotten man around Dante Fowler Jr. and Vic Beasley, but he's an elite pass-rusher in his own right. 

A foot injury kept Ray at bay during the combine, but he played fast and nasty at Missouri. He ended up running a 4.64 40-time at his pro day according to NFL.com. 

Ray measures in at 6'3" and 245 pounds. He's explosive in every sense of the word and seems to attack the quarterback with a relentless passion. 

It remains to be seen whether Ray is more than just a guy who flies off the edge. Can he get past bigger offensive linemen? Is his length good enough to consistently compete in the NFL? 

When you go against guys like Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Teddy Bridgewater, you need as many attacking pass-rushers as possible. Ray is in the mold of Dwight Freeney and Chris Clemons. Both of those guys have had successful careers in the NFL, and there's no reason why Ray can't as well.