Chicago Bears Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying
For weeks and months, draft gurus and experts have done their best to guess which player each NFL team will select in this year's draft.
The Chicago Bears could go a variety of different ways with the 11th overall pick on April 28, and following big trades at the top of the draft order in recent weeks, there is a chance a talented player could fall into the team's lap.
The Los Angeles Rams traded with the Tennessee Titans to nab the top selection on April 14, and the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to the No. 2 spot with the Cleveland Browns on April 20. If both teams select a quarterback, someone once projected to go in the top 10 may slide.
There is no way of knowing who the Bears are going to draft, but many experts have tried to nail down the selection in their latest mock drafts.
Who do the experts think Chicago will take with the 11th overall pick on Thursday?
All expert picks current as of April 24.
Charlie Campbell, Walter Football: CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida
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Cornerback Kyle Fuller burst onto the scene during his rookie campaign in 2014, but the former first-round pick struggled at the start of last season. Fuller had a hard time adapting to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme early in the year, but he looked like a lockdown cornerback at times in the second half of the season.
Fuller is still expected to enter the 2016 season as the team's No. 1 cornerback, and even though the Bears re-signed veteran Tracy Porter following an impressive bounce-back season in 2015, Chicago needs to add youth to the position.
Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com believes the Bears will target the cornerback position with the 11th overall pick and take Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III.
"Cornerback is a big need for the Bears, and Hargreaves could be an instant starter. He would give Chicago a No. 1 corner to pair with Kyle Fuller," Campbell wrote.
Hargreaves is an explosive and quick cornerback who can press a wide receiver at the line of scrimmage or drop back in zone coverage. At 5'10" and 204 pounds, he is a bit small for the position, but he is a fearless defender who is not afraid to play physically with big wide receivers.
The young cornerback is smooth in his backpedal, has fluid hips and has the ability to pluck the football out of the air away from a receiver. He is a willing participant against the run and works hard to fight through blocks to make plays when teams try to pound the ball on the ground.
He does play a bit out of control sometimes, and his aggressiveness can cause him to bite on fakes and double moves.
Fuller and Porter are expected to be the starters on the outside next season, but if the team drafts Hargreaves, the young cornerback has the ability to line up in the slot as a nickelback or earn the starting job over Porter if given the opportunity to compete in training camp and the preseason.
Nate Davis, USA Today Sports: RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
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Matt Forte was Chicago's No. 1 running back from 2008 until 2015 and registered 8,602 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns during that time, but the team opted to let the veteran hit the free-agent market this offseason.
Forte signed with the New York Jets, and the Bears have second-year man Jeremy Langford atop the depth chart at running back.
Langford, a fourth-round pick last year out of Michigan State, started two games and finished the season with 537 rushing yards on 148 carries with six touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown.
Even though Langford was productive at times last season, USA Today's Nate Davis thinks the Bears will go after Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott:
"Jeremy Langford may turn out to be a good back. But Elliott promises to be a special one who could anchor the running game coach John Fox covets and perhaps even make Chicagoans forget about departed Matt Forte. Importing a player of Elliott's ability – he exceeded 1,800 rushing yards in 2014 and '15 – might also reduce the likelihood of QB Jay Cutler pressing his luck, which historically has not worked out well.
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Head coach John Fox used a running back-by-committee approach while in Carolina and Denver, and adding Elliott would give Chicago's offense a dynamic threat out of the backfield.
Elliott possesses great vision and instincts, and he has a great combination of speed and power. He is not afraid to pound the ball between the tackles, and he is athletic enough to get to the edge and make plays on the outside. Elliott is physical with the ball in his hands and rarely shies away from contact.
The young back needs to improve as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, but he is an above-average blocker in the passing game and has the ability to step in and be a starter from day one.
If the Bears want to emphasize the running game to take pressure off Jay Cutler in 2016 and beyond, adding Elliott to the backfield with Langford—as well as third-year man Ka'Deem Carey—would give Chicago one of the best young running back groups in the game.
Charles Davis, NFL.com: DT Jarran Reed, Alabama
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The Bears upgraded their defensive line this offseason by signing Akiem Hicks to a two-year deal in March, but they still have a need for depth at both nose tackle and defensive end.
2015 second-round pick Eddie Goldman flashed his potential at times last season and is expected to reclaim the starting nose tackle job in 2016, but NFL.com's Charles Davis thinks the team will take Alabama nose tackle Jarran Reed with its first pick.
"The Bears are continuing to seek big, physical players on defense, and Reed is the best run-stuffing defensive tackle in the draft. He plays every down with passion," opined Davis.
At 6'3" and 307 pounds, Reed is built like an interior lineman, but he does have experience playing outside at defensive end. He is a physical force along the defensive line and is a prototypical two-gap player who can take on blockers and still make plays against the run.
In two seasons at Alabama, Reed recorded 111 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and two sacks. While he struggles to get to the quarterback, he does have the ability to collapse the pocket and apply pressure up the middle.
Reed is a nice player who possesses a skill set that fits well in Fangio's system, but the team already has a similar player on the roster in Goldman. Reed is a better run defender, but Goldman proved that he can get after the quarterback last season by recording 4.5 sacks.
While both Reed and Goldman have the ability to line up on the outside at defensive end, both are better suited playing inside at the 0-technique nose tackle position.
Reed would be a welcomed addition to a defensive line that lacks much depth. However, considering all the needs the team has on both sides of the ball, selecting him 11th overall would not make much sense, as the team could find a solid depth player at the position in the middle rounds.
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Bob LeGere, Daily Herald: DL A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
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Chicago began the 2015 season with Jarvis Jenkins and Ego Ferguson as starting defensive ends, but both struggled to earn consistent reps. Jenkins joined the New York Jets in free agency, and Ferguson is recovering from a knee injury he suffered in October.
Hicks is a welcomed addition along Chicago's defensive line, but the team lacks a clear-cut favorite to start opposite of him in Week 1. Veteran Mitch Unrein flashed at times last season and was rewarded with a two-year contract this offseason, but he is better suited coming off the bench.
The Daily Herald's Bob LeGere thinks the team will address the defensive line by selecting Alabama's A'Shawn Robinson with the 11th pick.
"With Akiem Hicks and 2015 No. 2 Goldman, once-weak defensive line now a strength," LeGere wrote about the team selecting Robinson.
Similar to his teammate Reed because of his ability to play all over the line of scrimmage, Robinson carries his weight (307 lbs) well and can play the 5-technique defensive end spot in a 3-4 scheme.
A three-year contributor and consensus All-American in 2015, Robinson finished his collegiate career with 133 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Like Reed, Robinson is at his best against the run and can still be effective when taking on two blockers.
Robinson derives power from his core and lower half and consistently uses his hands to fend off blockers in the trenches. He lacks as a pass-rusher, but when he is unable to apply pressure from the outside, he knows how to get his hands up to knock down passes. Between 2014 and 2015, he swatted five balls out of the air.
The young lineman does not have a great first step and plays a bit tall on occasion, but he is stout against the run and has the ability to immediately contribute on early downs in the NFL. He will likely be taken off the field on third downs until he can refine his technique as a pass-rusher, but Robinson is talented enough to make plays as a rookie.
Robinson would not be the flashiest pick for Chicago, but he would immediately upgrade a defense that finished 22nd against the run in 2015.
Todd McShay, ESPN: OLB Leonard Floyd, Georgia
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The NFL is a passing league, and the best way to slow down an opposing passing attack is by getting after the quarterback.
Chicago signed outside linebacker Pernell McPhee last offseason to give its new 3-4 defense a proven pass-rusher, and while he did struggle with injuries at times last season, McPhee looks like a building block on that side of the ball for years to come.
Defensive ends-turned-outside linebackers Willie Young and Lamarr Houston both flashed coming off season-ending injuries in 2014, but neither is an ideal fit as a stand-up outside linebacker.
In his latest mock draft, ESPN.com's Todd McShay thinks the Bears will try to upgrade the outside linebacker position by selecting Georgia's Leonard Floyd.
"Floyd is one of the hottest players in the draft right now. Oakland would love him at No. 14, and the Giants could take him at No. 10. With upper-tier athleticism for the position, Floyd would give the Bears a high-ceiling pass-rusher off the edge," McShay wrote.
In his three years at Georgia, Floyd recorded 182 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Floyd is quick and explosive off the ball and uses his long arms (33 ⅛") to create separation off the snap. In addition to being able to apply pressure off the edge, he moves well laterally and has the ability to make stops on running plays to the outside. He fights hard through traffic to make plays against the run, and he is also athletic enough to drop back in coverage if needed.
The biggest concern for Floyd as he enters the NFL is his size. At 6'6" and 244 pounds, Floyd is long and lean and looks more like a tight end/wide receiver hybrid than an elite pass-rusher.
The former SEC standout possesses the speed and athleticism to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks, but he will be viewed more as a project than an instant starter.
Since the Bears have three outside linebackers on their roster, they could take the risk of drafting Floyd in Round 1 and let him develop at his own pace behind McPhee, Young and Houston. But after 2015 first-round pick Kevin White was unable to get onto the field in his rookie season due to a shin injury, general manager Ryan Pace might not want to risk taking a developmental player in the first round this year.
Floyd would be an interesting option for the Bears in the first round, but since he may only see the field as a pass-rushing specialist in his rookie season, Chicago might be wise to add another outside linebacker later in the draft.
Matt Claassen, Pro Football Focus: OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
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After spending his first two years in the league at right guard and all of training camp and the preseason in 2015 at the position, Kyle Long moved to right tackle in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers last season. Long flashed at times at his new position, but he did not dominate on the outside like he did on the inside in his first two seasons.
This offseason, Chicago signed veteran right tackle Bobby Massie in free agency and moved Long back to his natural position at right guard. The team also added veteran linemen Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen for depth, but Chicago did not address the left tackle position.
Charles Leno played well at times at left tackle in 2015, but he struggled against strong edge-rushers and in the running game. Chicago could enter the season with Leno as the starter on the left side, but Pro Football Focus' Matt Claassen thinks the team will take Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley with the 11th overall pick.
"We strongly considered Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott here to replace Matt Forte but ultimately decided on Stanley to fill the tackle spot opposite new free-agent addition Bobby Massie," Claassen wrote. "Stanley is arguably the best pass-protecting tackle in the draft and would be a much-needed upgrade for a Chicago offensive line that had just one starter with a positive pass-blocking grade in 2015."
Stanley began his career at Notre Dame as a starter at right tackle before moving to left tackle in his final two seasons. He is an athletic lineman who gets off the ball quickly in pass protection and uses his hands to create and maintain control. He bends well at his knees and shuffles his feet like an experienced pro at the position.
While he excels against quick pass-rushers, he needs to improve his strength to be able to take on powerful defenders off the edge. Despite his need to add more strength, he plays physically in the running game and rarely backs down from strong defenders.
Selecting a left tackle in the first round is rarely viewed as a flashy pick, but Stanley has all the tools to become the anchor on the left side of Chicago's offensive line for years to come if the Bears opt to use their first selection on him.
Will Brinson, CBS Sports: OT Jack Conklin, Michigan State
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CBSSports.com's Will Brinson also believes the Bears will address the left tackle position in the first round, but he does not expect Stanley to be available when Chicago is on the clock. Instead, Brinson believes the team will take Michigan State's Jack Conklin.
"Protection for Jay Cutler is paramount, and right now the Bears are slotting Bobby Massie or Charles Leno at left tackle to start the season. That's no bueno," wrote Brinson.
Massie has spent the majority of his career playing right tackle, and it seems unlikely the team would move him to the left side considering his skill set translates much better on the right side because of his strength and power.
Conklin started 40 games at left tackle for the Spartans during his time in East Lansing and finished last season as a first-team All-American.
He is not at the same athletic level as Stanley or Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil, but he does possess good footwork and plays physically in both the running and passing game. He needs to shore up his technique because he has a tendency to lunge at defenders, but he plays with the physicality of a right tackle while possessing the strong footwork of a left tackle.
According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, an NFC North scout thinks Conklin would be a good fit in the division.
"That is a dude, right there. He was busting up Ohio State in the fourth quarter of that game not because he was more talented than those guys but because he just wanted it more," the scout said, per Zierlein. "He's tougher than old beef jerky. He fits in our division."
While Stanley appears to be a more talented left tackle, the gap between him and Conklin is not that great. Like Stanley, Conklin possesses all the tools to be a starter from day one in the NFL, and he would be a welcomed addition to Chicago's offensive line.
All stats and combine information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com.
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