Chicago Bears: Updated Draft Big Board After First Wave of Free Agency

Unlike free agency, it's hard for the Chicago Bears to disappoint fans at the 2017 NFL draft.

General manager Ryan Pace and the front office can't please everyone, but clutching the No. 3 overall pick and boasting needs at some of the deeper positions in this year's class makes for a good time.

That isn't to suggest the Bears had a bad performance in free agency, either. Pace didn't go all out for major names such as Stephon Gilmore, but he identified areas he wanted to attack and did so, emphasizing upside and contracts that don't hamper the organization for a long time.

Receivers Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton help diversify the passing attack for new quarterback Mike Glennon, as does budding tight end Dion Sims. Defensive backs Marcus Cooper, Prince Amukamara, Johnthan Banks and Quintin Demps revamp the secondary, while John Jenkins provides much-needed depth in the trenches.

The result? Flexibility on draft day, which is where a big board comes in handy. Below, let's outline such a resource and focus on some areas of need.

Top 100 Big Board

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

A team like the Bears is fun—when it comes to a big board, most everything is on the table for a top-five selection. 

That said, there will be a few omissions below, such as running back (as fun as it would be to see Leonard Fournette bulldoze his way behind Chicago's elite interior line) thanks to Jordan Howard. In that same vein, we'll toss out interior linemen.

Omitted players aren't off Chicago's big board by any means on draft day, but as a resource for fans, it doesn't make sense to waste slotting on needs so far down the board the Bears likely won't pull the trigger. Instead, we'll give real estate to the most important spots.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
1	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M	EDGE
2	Deshaun Watson	Clemson	QB
3	Solomon Thomas	Stanford	EDGE
4	Jamal Adams	LSU	S
5	Malik Hooker	Ohio State	S
6	DeShone Kizer	Notre Dame	QB
7	Mitchell Trubisky	North Carolina	QB
8	Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State	CB
9	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech	QB
10	O.J. Howard	Alabama	TE
11	Corey Davis	Western Michigan	WR
12	Derek Barnett	Tennessee	EDGE
13	Haason Reddick	Temple	LB
14	Reuben Foster	Alabama	LB
15	Quincy Wilson	Florida	CB
16	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama	CB
17	Jonathan Allen	Alabama	DL
18	Takkarist McKinley	UCLA	UCLA
19	Budda Baker	Washington	S
20	Obi Melifonwu	UConn	S
21	Taco Charlton	Michigan	EDGE
22	David Njoku	Miami (FL)	TE
23	Fabian Moreau	UCLA	CB
24	Charles Harris	Missouri	EDGE
25	Mike Williams	Clemson	WR
26	Jabrill Peppers	Michigan	S
27	Caleb Brantley	Florida	DL
28	John Ross	Washington	WR
29	Ryan Ramczyk	Wisconsin	T
30	Tre'Davious White	LSU	CB
31	Malik McDowell	Michigan State	EDGE
32	Desmond King	Iowa	S
33	Cordrea Tankersley	Clemson	CB
34	Garett Bolles	Utah	T
35	Zach Cunningham	Vanderbilt	LB
36	Evan Engram	Ole Miss	TE
37	Ryan Anderson	Alabama	EDGE
38	Chidobe Awuzie	Colorado	CB
39	Gareon Conley	Ohio State	CB
40	Marcus Williams	Utah	S
41	Kevin King	Washington	CB
42	Adoree' Jackson	USC	CB
43	Cam Robinson	Alabama	T
44	Zay Jones	East Carolina	WR
45	Davis Webb	California	QB
46	Carlos Henderson	Louisiana Tech	WR
47	Chris Godwin	Penn State	WR
48	Raekwon McMillan	Ohio State	LB
49	Jarrad Davis	Florida	LB
50	Sidney Jones	Washington	CB
51	Montravius Adams	Auburn	DL
52	T.J. Watt	Wisconsin	LB
53	Jordan Leggett	Clemson	TE
54	Carl Lawson	Auburn	EDGE
55	Antonio Garcia	Troy	T
56	Justin Evans	Texas A&M	S
57	Marcus Maye	Florida	S
58	Jourdan Lewis	Michigan	CB
59	Jordan Willis	Kansas State	EDGE
60	Bucky Hodges	Virginia Tech	TE
61	Rasul Douglas	West Virginia	CB
62	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	WR
63	Joe Mathis	Washington	EDGE
64	Tanoh Kpassagnon	Villanova	EDGE
65	Teez Tabor	Florida	CB
66	Tim Williams	Alabama	EDGE
67	Dawuane Smoot	Illinois	EDGE
68	Tarell Basham	Ohio	DL
69	Curtis Samuel	Ohio State	WR
70	Adam Shaheen	Ashland	TE
71	Dalvin Tomlinson	Alabama	DL
72	John Johnson	Boston College	S
73	Howard Wilson	Houston	CB
74	Vince Biegel	Wisconsin	LB
75	Nathan Peterman	Pitt	QB
76	Larry Ogunjobi	Charlotte	DL
77	Roderick Johnson	FSU	T
78	Carroll Phillips	Illinois	EDGE
79	Taywan Taylor	Western Kentucky	WR
80	Elijah Qualls	Washington	DT
81	JuJu Smith-Schuster	USC	WR
82	Taylor Moton	Western Michigan	T
83	Josh Jones	NC State	S
84	Isaiah Ford	Virginia Tech	WR
85	Duke Riley	LSU	EDGE
86	Tyus Bowser	Houston	EDGE
87	Anthony Walker	Northwestern	LB
88	Ahkello Witherspoon	Colorado	CB
89	Derek Rivers	Youngstown State	EDGE
90	Cameron Sutton	Tennessee	CB
91	Jalen Reeves-Maybin	Tennessee	LB
92	Amara Darboh	Michigan	WR
93	DeMarcus Walker	Florida State	DL
94	Jaleel Johnson	Iowa	DL
95	Will Holden	Vanderbilt	T
96	Trey Hendrickson	Florida Atlantic	DL
97	Chad Wheeler	USC	T
98	Carlos Watkins	Clemson	DL
99	Jalen Myrick	Minnesota	CB
100	David Sharpe	Florida	T

Wide Receiver

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Bears will count on Cameron Meredith to have a strong breakthrough year in 2017 and cross their fingers when it comes to Kevin White's health.

Wheaton is a nice deep-threat addition and Wright has thrived under offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains in the past, but none of this will stop the front office from grabbing a top-tier prospect at good value if the board permits it.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
11	Corey Davis	Western Michigan	WR
25	Mike Williams	Clemson	WR
28	John Ross	Washington	WR
44	Zay Jones	East Carolina	WR
46	Carlos Henderson	Louisiana Tech	WR
47	Chris Godwin	Penn State	WR
62	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington	WR
69	Curtis Samuel	Ohio State	WR
79	Taywan Taylor	Western Kentucky	WR
81	JuJu Smith-Schuster	USC	WR
84	Isaiah Ford	Virginia Tech	WR
92	Amara Darboh	Michigan	WR

Corey Davis and Mike Williams are the blue-chip prospects the Bears could target in the first round, especially if the front office swings a trade and moves down. Both are high-upside boundary guys who could make the loss of Alshon Jeffery easier to forgive.

On the other hand, John Ross and Zay Jones are tough over-the-middle players who can stretch the field if necessary, though the former has an injury history to keep in mind.

The next tier of players on the board might be two of the most criminally underrated overall in the class. Both Carlos Henderson and Chris Godwin have the ability to start in the league right away and contribute.

Cooper Kupp would be a nice value buy as a reliable target, while Curtis Samuel, Taywan Taylor and Isaiah Ford are quality deep threats who could keep defenses honest in a vertical sense.

Some of the guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Amara Darboh get a bid redundant later down the board after Chicago's offseason signings and the picks are probably better spent elsewhere. But they're names to keep in mind should the Bears want to stockpile weapons.

Edge

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Chicago, like any team in the league, doesn't have enough premium, versatile guys who can rush the passer.

Leonard Floyd put on a monster rookie year when healthy, but the team is ready to move on from guys like Lamarr Houston, and Pernell McPhee has struggled with injuries.

Though it isn't always easy to see how rushers will find themselves deployed in the NFL, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wouldn't mind adding any of the following guys to his versatile front.

Since the idea of base defenses continues to erode, let's generalize below when looking at potential edge players, only really excluding straight nose tackles.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
1	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M	EDGE
3	Solomon Thomas	Stanford	EDGE
12	Derek Barnett	Tennessee	EDGE
17	Jonathan Allen	Alabama	DL
18	Takkarist McKinley	UCLA	EDGE
21	Taco Charlton	Michigan	EDGE
24	Charles Harris	Missouri	EDGE
31	Malik McDowell	Michigan State	EDGE
37	Ryan Anderson	Alabama	EDGE
54	Carl Lawson	Auburn	EDGE
59	Jordan Willis	Kansas State	EDGE
63	Joe Mathis	Washington	EDGE
64	Tanoh Kpassagnon	Villanova	EDGE
66	Tim Williams	Alabama	EDGE
78	Carroll Phillips	Illinois	EDGE
85	Duke Riley	LSU	EDGE
86	Tyus Bowser	Houston	EDGE
89	Derek Rivers	Youngstown State	EDGE

There isn't really much to say about Myles Garrett. He might be the best defender to enter the NFL this side of Jadeveon Clowney and a Garrett-Floyd combo would have the rest of the NFC North sweating.

The guarantees go out the window from there, though Solomon Thomas is an intriguing guy who can line up all over, including kicking inside to rush on passing downs. He's a candidate for the third pick.

Derek Barnett is more interesting: a productive player, he's pro-ready now and can make a difference. Jonathan Allen is in the same vein and a favorite for top-five chatter, though injuries make his stock look like a risk.

Takkarist McKinley and Charles Harris can win on the outside standing up, while another guy in their draft range, Taco Charlton, is more of a hand-in-dirt sort of player. These are potentially early second-round targets.

A little further down the board is Malik McDowell, an absolute freak of a player who could pass as a tackle in the right scheme. He has arguably the most upside of anyone listed here, though questions about his motor remain.

Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams are Alabama products who produced among the usual Nick Saban defense and could provide quality value in Chicago while deployed by Fangio.

Guys like Carl Lawson, Jordan Willis and Carroll Phillips are typical rushers who can fill in all over the field at good value given their stock. Lawson is especially interesting, as the sheer rawness of his game has evaluators all over the place when it comes to his stock.

Speaking of random-seeming stock, few seem to agree on where to slot Joe Mathis or Derek Rivers, the former because of a foot injury and the latter because of both rawness and playing at Youngstown State. Rivers in particular is a steal if the Bears can land him outside of the first round and let Fangio go to work on developing him alongside Floyd.

Cornerback

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Corner is similar to rushers—there is no such thing as too many. 

Cooper and Amukamara are boundary guys who could flourish while manning up in Fangio's scheme, and the roster has a handful of names ready to fight it out for slot and nickel roles.

That won't stop the Bears from adding another talent at such a premium spot, especially on the outside.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
8	Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State	CB
15	Quincy Wilson	Florida	CB
16	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama	CB
23	Fabian Moreau	UCLA	CB
30	Tre'Davious White	LSU	CB
33	Cordrea Tankersley	Clemson	CB
38	Chidobe Awuzie	Colorado	CB
41	Kevin King	Washington	CB
42	Adoree' Jackson	USC	CB
50	Sidney Jones	Washington	CB
58	Jourdan Lewis	Michigan	CB
61	Rasul Douglas	West Virginia	CB
65	Teez Tabor	Florida	CB
73	Howard Wilson	Houston	CB
88	Ahkello Witherspoon	Colorado	CB
90	Cameron Sutton	Tennessee	CB
99	Jalen Myrick	Minnesota	CB

The first four names on the list—Marshon Lattimore, Quincy Wilson, Marlon Humphrey, Fabian Moreau—are all bigger corners capable of moving around and playing on the outside. Moreau is probably the most interesting as a late riser, while Wilson could play all over the field.

Tre'Davious White and Cordrea Tankersley played at big-time programs and had major games. Both look capable of matching up on the outside at the pro level as well.

Chidobe Awuzie is becoming harder to ignore as the draft process progresses because he was a productive four-year starter. Kevin King, on the other hand, simply continues to draw attention because he's giant for a corner at 6'3" with plenty of versatility.

Sidney Jones making an appearance here might be polarizing because of a serious injury he suffered in March, but as a player, he's worth an investment in the right slotting.

Jourdan Lewis and Adoree' Jackson are a few of the sub-6'0" corners on here, though the latter draws obvious rave reviews for his potency with the ball in his hands.

On the other end of the spectrum is the 6'2" Rasul Douglas, an obvious press-coverage type for Fangio. Speaking of size, Ahkello Witherspoon is a lanky, long 6'3" corner with huge upside as he gains more experience.

Safety

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Safety seems like one of the most obvious picks in the draft for the Bears, though where is one of the hardest things to predict overall.

Either way, Demps is a nice veteran stopgap solution who doesn't have a ton of wear and tear on his body and can bring a mentor ability alongside turnovers.

A rookie, either at No. 3 or beyond, could compete to start right away.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
4	Jamal Adams	LSU	S
5	Malik Hooker	Ohio State	S
19	Budda Baker	Washington	S
20	Obi Melifonwu	UConn	S
26	Jabrill Peppers	Michigan	S
32	Desmond King	Iowa	S
40	Marcus Williams	Utah	S
57	Marcus Maye	Florida	S
72	John Johnson	Boston College	S
83	Josh Jones	NC State	S

Like Garrett, there isn't much to say about Jamal Adams—few surefire all-around safeties hit the pros anymore. He can thump against the run or drop back deep and have an impact as a starter from Day 1.

Malik Hooker is more of a long-term project, yet his upside speaks to his rank here. He isn't strong against the run, but few entering the league have his sheer instincts and ability as a center fielder, especially while posting so little experience.

Some will hit Budda Baker for his size (5'10"), but it's a silly criticism given his outstanding coverage abilities. He's also a starter right away.

Nobody has anything but great things to say about Obi Melifonwu's size (6'4", 224 pounds), though he's an in-the-box enforcer for the most part. It's the same classification for Jabrill Peppers, who still needs to grow into the position and can double as an elite returner.

Desmond King, formerly a corner, is an experienced, productive player who could find himself with a starting role as a rookie. Marcus Williams' sheer coverage skills will have him in a similar competition for a starting gig.

Quarterback

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Nobody on the planet can say with any certainty if Glennon is the quarterback of the future for the Bears.

While he is only 27 years old and never had a fair, consistent shake as a starter, Glennon's presence won't stop the Bears from pulling the trigger on a quarterback at No. 3 if Pace thinks he can be a franchise player.

Realistically, Chicago could get away with drafting one of four guys at No. 3, if not trading back into the first round for one or two. Two options outside of the first round slip on to the board in an overall top-heavy class.

Chicago Bears Big Board

Rank	Player	School	Position
2	Deshaun Watson	Clemson	QB
6	DeShone Kizer	Notre Dame	QB
7	Mitchell Trubisky	North Carolina	QB
9	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech	QB
45	Davis Webb	California	QB
75	Nathan Peterman	Pitt	QB

For some, Deshaun Watson stole the show at the combine simply by showing up and doing what he does—acting calm and cool under the brightest of stages. He's an experienced starter with a big arm and mobile base who can start right away or sit on the bench for a year.

DeShone Kizer is part of the reason Watson looked so good in Indianapolis. He confirmed his project status by struggling at times sans pressure. Accuracy is the biggest issue, but building around his huge arm and ability to take off or throw on the run is a great choice.

Mitchell Trubisky falls more into the year-one starter camp, if necessary. He has a bit of a transition coming from a spread with his biggest weakness composure under pressure.

Many knock Patrick Mahomes for mechanics, but wonky mechanics or not, he produced big time in college and has perhaps the most upside of any quarterback in the class. It's about situation and coaching.

Davis Webb is a developmental prospect who hardly threw the ball far down the field, but if he can find some deep accuracy, he is an experiment worth taking. Nathan Peterman seems like the opposite coming from a pro-style offense, but he won't blow anyone away with arm strength or ability to take off and run.

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.