Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft After Start of Free Agency
When it comes to the Chicago Bears, it's important to keep the long-term picture in mind.
General manager Ryan Pace didn't make a major splash on the opening day of free agency. An instant-gratification approach doesn't always work, nor does it seem justified for a three-win team in the middle of a rebuild, so he took a hard pass on names such as Stephon Gilmore and Tony Jefferson, among others.
What Pace did do, though, was stress upside with his signing while improving the roster.
Mike Glennon could be a stopgap solution at quarterback, or he could blossom and stick. Receivers Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton have strong upside if deployed well. Tight end Dion Sims continues to develop as a pass catcher. Corners Marcus Cooper, Prince Amukamara and Johnthan Banks are high-upside boundary players who fit well in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme. Safety Quintin Demps brings a veteran presence to the unit.
Turnover continued, of course, with Alshon Jeffery and others leaving. But the high-value signings offer upside and mesh well with a draft outlook that doesn't change much.
Below, let's take a look at how the Bears should attack the 2017 draft, keeping in mind Pace is all about maximizing value and seeking out upside as he steers the team into the third year of a significant rebuild.
Round 1 (3)
1 of 7
The Pick: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Don't be fooled—the Bears aren't done searching for a potential franchise quarterback.
Glennon is only 27 years old and was never given a fair shot in Tampa Bay, and to be fair, almost every quarterback in the league right now would be replaced if a prospect like Jameis Winston came along. But his contract offers little in the way of guarantees after the first year, per Spotrac, confirming he's a classic example of a bridge quarterback—unless he plays himself into a better deal after the first year.
This brings us to the third pick, where the Bears can grab a capable prospect like Clemson's Deshaun Watson.
Watson was incredibly productive at the collegiate level while slaying the likes of Alabama, a calm-and-cool demeanor that translated to Indianapolis for the combine, where he blazed a 4.66 40-yard dash and popped off a three-cone drill in 6.95 seconds.
Perhaps most impressive of all, Watson was composed and accurate during passing drills while others, such as Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, did a full-on faceplant while struggling with accuracy and composure.
There's a case to be made here for addressing a different position. But overlooking a top-tier quarterback prospect doesn't seem like a smart move—in today's NFL, nothing else really matters if a team can't find a potential franchise player under center.
If Glennon excels while Watson sits for a year, the Bears have one of the best problems of all in the NFL realm. Otherwise, the 21-year-old can take control in a year or two while Pace continues to round out the rest of the roster in the meantime.
Round 2 (36)
2 of 7
The Pick: Budda Baker, S, Washington
Look, the Bears grabbing a safety at No. 3 to put next to the newly added Demps makes sense. And in most years, grabbing an elite safety prospect like LSU's Jamal Adams would be the right move.
The problem is drop-off. Quarterback has a huge failure rate outside of the first round, no matter what the rare Dak Prescott has to say about the matter. It looks like four quarterbacks will come off the board in the first round this year (Watson, Kizer, Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes II), leaving the Bears with zero options in the second round and beyond.
A quick look at the guys available if the first four go: Davis Webb, Brad Kaaya, Nate Peterman, others. Those guys are long shots.
Now look at the drop-off at safety if the Bears pass on Adams: Budda Baker.
The gap between Adams and Baker is incredibly smaller than one of the top four signal-callers compared to the rest of the field.
And Baker on his own? An elite prospect who takes a bit of a fall into the early second round because of the ridiculous depth at defensive back this year. He's 5'10" and 190 pounds and can roam as a centerfielder and play the slot if asked.
Somewhat undersized or not, Baker is an immediate starter next to Demps in Chicago's secondary. The unit has good depth at slot corner and now on the boundary as well thanks to free agency.
Baker is the final piece in a revamped, future-looking unit. He has the sheer football instincts so rare in safeties at the position these days, making him perhaps the best value of Chicago's draft class overall.
Round 3 (67)
3 of 7
The Pick: DeMarcus Walker, DE, Florida State
Notice something the Bears didn't address in free agency?
The answer is contributors along the defensive line and edge-rushers. Focusing on the former, another infusion of Florida State talent in the form of DeMarcus Walker provides an immediate boost at a good value here.
Walker is 6'4" and 280 pounds with the power and traits to flirt with a move to three-tech, meaning another versatile, valuable presence for Fangio to deploy as he sees fit in the trenches.
While it's true that the Bears have a plus-upside player in Jonathan Bullard on the roster, there's nothing wrong with another infusion of young talent to push rebuild-mostly guys like Mitch Unrein off the roster.
Keep in mind, too, Walker has the weight flexibility to play wherever Fangio wants him. Unrein only comes in around the 270-pound range, with Bullard only a little heavier. The beauty of the pick here is simply giving Fangio a moldable talent who can contribute right away while growing into a role.
While not the flashiest pick, Walker is another key piece in a full-blown roster makeover and adds to an already-strong front seven.
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Round 4 (111)
4 of 7
The Pick: Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia
It is incredibly difficult to find high-quality boundary corners at the NFL level these days, which is why fans were presumably so upset the Bears missed on Gilmore in free agency.
Alas, Cooper and Amukamara could be the answer on the outside for the Bears now that they'll play in Fangio's system, where he'll use them to their strengths as press players. Don't forget Kyle Fuller. The slot or nickel roles already belong to high-upside guys like Cre'von LeBlanc and Deiondre' Hall, among others.
That said, the Bears need to roll the dice on another potential boundary starter as insurance and, on paper, it doesn't get much better than West Virginia's Rasul Douglas at this spot. He's a strong 6'2" and 209 pounds who received strong praise from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein thanks to his ball-hawking ability:
"Douglas has rare size for the position and his 2016 interception total will add to the level of intrigue for NFL teams. There is no doubting Douglas' ability to make plays on the ball when he's in position, but his lack of long speed and closing burst could make his big senior season an anomaly.
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While a bit of a dice roll, Douglas is the ideal Fangio press corner who can succeed when asked to specialize in the role.
Again, given the depth of the class, the Bears get great value here. Douglas is another name who will push veterans off the roster in a hurry if they don't compete well before the season. In time, the 21-year-old could even develop into an every-down starter.
Round 4 (117)
5 of 7
The Pick: Carl Lawson, EDGE, Auburn
Edge was a spot mentioned earlier, and for good reason.
While not an overwhelming need, Fangio could use more sheer athletes to throw at quarterbacks. Pernell McPhee has had problems staying healthy and Leonard Floyd had issues of his own last year. Lamarr Houston looks like an obvious cut, leaving the depth thin after Willie Young.
An extra fourth-round pick seems like the right time to address the issue, especially with Auburn's Carl Lawson still on the board.
Lawson's stock will be all over the place with teams, meaning he could get pushed down the board. Some might classify Lawson as a bit undersized at 6'2" and 261 pounds, with multiple injury issues another red flag on his resume.
Those negatives aside, Lawson is a quick-twitch player who can set the edge with attitude while developing refined technique as a rusher. Some of his numbers reinforced these ideas, like his 35 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and his 20-yard shuttle time of 4.19 seconds.
The beauty of a pick like Lawson is his role in Chicago, where Fangio will use him to his strengths in a rotational capacity, rarely asking him to do too much unless the injury bug hits.
Maybe Lawson develops into an every-down player, maybe not, but there is no such thing as too many talented rushers who can disrupt the timing of plays.
Round 5 (147)
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The Pick: Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
The nice thing about addressing tight end with a guy like Sims who still seems on the upswing in the passing game? Pace and the front office no longer have to worry about the position and can go get a dynamic prospect elsewhere.
Donnel Pumphrey is certainly dynamic after rushing for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns last as a senior at San Diego State. He didn't blow anyone away at the combine with his testing numbers, but it's a case of film versus numbers here, and the film doesn't lie.
Critics will point out his 5'8", 176-pound frame, hence the drop to the fifth round here. But Chicago isn't asking for an every-down back capable of carrying the load, not with rookie sensation Jordan Howard gearing up for a big year.
No, the Bears need a nice change-of-pace back capable of contributing through the air, returning kicks on special teams a bonus. Pumphrey can do both right out of the gates, pushing the likes of Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey behind Howard.
For Glennon or a rookie to succeed under center, the front office needs to surround the position with weapons capable of making big plays. Pumphrey checks the box in versatile fashion.
Round 7 (221)
7 of 7
The Pick: Jamari Staples, WR, Louisville
Miss Jeffery? Worried the Bears don't have enough big boundary guys who can go up and get the jump balls a rookie might throw in the general area code and target?
Jamari Staples is a nice developmental solution to the problem.
The 22-year-old never blew anyone away with his touchdown numbers over four years in college (10 total) and his routes can be sloppy. But he averaged north of 17 yards per catch in each of his last three years.
Tall (6'3", 195 pounds) with a great ability to get up and high point passes, Staples is a nice boundary prospect who could use some refinement in other areas via coaching before he's ready to contribute in a big way.
Near the end of the draft, though, he's a nice future-leaning investment who could be a reliable option for a young passer while guys like Wheaton, Kevin White or Wright stretch the field deep.
Stats and info courtesy of the NFL Scouting Combine's official participants list unless otherwise specified.
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