2011 NFL Mock Draft: Predicting All 7 Rounds for the Chicago Bears
Football is back in the windy city.
A year removed from their first postseason appearance since 2006, optimism is high in Chicago.
The addition of Julius Peppers transformed the Bears defense back into their old, dominant self, and the normally turnover prone Jay Cutler threw his fewest interceptions since his first full season as a starter.
The Bears showed doubters last year that this team is not so far removed from their Super Bowl appearance just four years ago, but also showed how far away they are from actually winning.
However, with a strong draft class, the Bears could take that next step towards winning their first championship since 1985.
Bears Draft Needs
1 of 8
Although there were some signs of progress under first-year coordinator Mike Martz, the Bears offense still needs some fine tuning.
The offensive line allowed a league worst 56 sacks, and the Bears receiving core could also use improvement—they again failed to produce a 1000-yard receiver.
Defensively, the Bears are also one-year older and providing depth is another area of concern.
I see the Bears going offensive in this year's draft, along with some interior defensive players.
1st-Round Selection: Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod
2 of 8
Sherrod is the franchise left tackle the Bears need. He is great in pass blocking and is perhaps the quickest tackle in this year's draft.
Sherrod is a technically sound player who has good footwork and instincts. His two biggest areas of improvement are his use of leverage and angles.
In a weak OT class, Sherrod is one of the few projected first-round tackles, so the Bears would be happy to have him late in the first.
2nd-Round Selection: Miami WR Leonard Hankerson
3 of 8
Hankerson holds the Miami single season record for touchdown receptions—an impressive record considering the number of quality receivers that have played for the Canes.
Devin Hester has not been the playmaker on offense the Bears thought he might be, leaving Johhny Knox as the Bears only real receiving threat.
Hankerson would be a great complement to Knox—with his 6'3" height and soft hands, he would be an excellent possession receiver for Cutler.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
3rd-Round Selection: Stanford DT Sione Fua
4 of 8
With the recent release of former Pro Bowl DT Tommie Harris, the Bears are a little thin on the defensive line.
Fua is not a disruptive force from the DT position, but is a great run-stopping DT that would occupy blockers in the middle and allow Peppers and Idonije free releases on the edges.
His ceiling is limited, but Fua can give the Bears another large DT to use in the rotation with Anthony Adams.
4th-Round Selection: USC CB Shareece Wright
5 of 8
Charles Tillman has played great corner for the Bears since his arrival in 2003, and free agent signee Tim Jennings did a great job once he took over the starting job.
But the Bears have little else in the secondary, and Wright is one of those rare mid-round selections that can instantly contribute.
Wright has been criticized at times for his aggresiveness, leading some scouts to question his intelligence.
But Wright has above-average height and speed for a corner, and his physical style of play fits in perfectly with the Bears defensive scheme.
5th-Round Selection: Utah C Zane Taylor
6 of 8
HOF Center Olin Kreutz has already played 13 seasons in the NFL, and at age 33 his body is finally starting to show signs of wear and tear.
Taylor is a three-year starter and incredibly strong and athletic for a center. In fact, he set Utah team records for bench press and squat.
He may not be ready to start right away, but he will have a great teacher in Kreutz and should be ready to fill in once the HOF retires.
6th-Round Selection: Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts
7 of 8
Last season's NFC Championship game showed just how important a quality backup QB can be.
Potts may struggle to learn various NFL offenses after running the spread at Texas Tech, but he put up some very impressive stats at Lubbock.
Last season, Potts had five games with four or more touchdown passes and has never completed fewer than 66 percent of his passes in a season.
He has to prove he can come up big against quality competition (one touchdown against four picks against perennial Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas), but there is still room for improvement as Potts only has two years of starting experience.
7th-Round Selection: Hawaii WR Kealoha Pilares
8 of 8
Pilares is not the same talent as Hawaii's other receiver Greg Salas (a projected mid-round pick), but he still put up some pretty impressive stats.
Last season, he had over 1300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. In fact, Pilares had a touchdown catch in all but two of Hawaii's games, including a three touchdown day against Pac-10 power USC.
He is slow and undersized, but is one of the best route runners in the draft.
He has the potential to be another productive receiver taken in the seventh round, much like Marques Colston or Stevie Johnson.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
