2011 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears Will Think Big with Their First Round Pick

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2011 NFL Mock Draft Has the Bears Finding Some Help for Jay Cutler

My guess is that everyone knows what I’m about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway: Jay Cutler got sacked a league-high 52 times last season. Feel free to blame that on him all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the Bears would do well to put some able bodies in front of him.

In past mocks I’ve done, pickings have been pretty slim for the Bears at No. 29, but it’s looking more and more like one of the top tackles in this year’s class – Tyron Smith, Anthony Castonzo, Nate Solder, Gabe Carimi – is going to slip. My money is on Carimi, and I think the Bears could be the team that reaps the benefits.

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Thanks in large part to Wisconsin’s run-heavy offense, Carimi still has some work to do when it comes to pass protection. That probably makes this sound like a wasted pick, but if I’m the Bears, I’m willing to put my trust in Carimi’s 6’8”, 320-pound frame. He could round into a very good pass protector with a little seasoning, but the good news is that he’s already an elite run blocker. Perhaps that will inspire Mike Martz to draw up some more carries for Matt Forte.

If the Bears don’t go for an offensive tackle here, they’ll probably look to make a deal. They need a defensive tackle and a wide receiver, but they might not see any to their liking.

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1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB 2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller, OLB 3. Buffalo Bills: Marcell Dareus, DT 4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR	17. New England Patriots: Cameron Jordan, DE 18. San Diego Chargers: Muhammad Wilkerson 19. New York Giants: Anthony Castonzo, OT 20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn, DE
5. Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert, QB 6. Cleveland Browns: Da'Quan Bowers, DE 7. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB 8. Tennessee Titans: Nick Fairley, DT	21. Kansas City Chiefs: Akeem Ayers, OLB 22. Indianapolis Colts: Nate Solder, OT 23. Philadelphia Eagles: Jimmy Smith, CB 24. New Orleans Saints: Brooks Reed, OLB
9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith, OT 10. Washington Redskins: Julio Jones, WR 11. Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara, CB 12. Minnesota Vikings: Robert Quinn, DE	25. Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker, QB 26. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Pouncey, OG 27. Atlanta Falcons: Ryan Kerrigan, DE 28. New England Patriots: Justin Houston, OLB
13. Detroit Lions: Aldon Smith, DE 14. St. Louis Rams: Corey Liuget, DT 15. Miami Dolphins: Mark Ingram, RB 16. Jacksonville Jaguars: J.J. Watt, DE	29. Chicago Bears: Gabe Carimi, OT 30. New York Jets: Phil Taylor, DT 31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Williams, CB 32. Green Bay Packers: Derek Sherrod, OT