2011 NFL Draft: 6-Round Chicago Bears Report Card
The Chicago Bears went into this draft with the clear understanding that improving the offensive line was their most pressing need.
To that end, they accomplished their goal by drafting Gabe Carimi in the first round.
The second most critical requirement for Chicago was at defensive tackle, where Tommie Harris used to roam. Now that he had finally been set free by the Bears, they needed a three-technique tackle.
Well, they appear to have done well in meeting this need too, as GM Jerry Angelo moved up in the second round to take Stephen Paea.
But after the excitement of those two picks, the draft was mostly a downer, at least for this Bears fan.
Meanwhile, I have given grades to each Bears' pick. The grades are based on need, quality of the player selected, as well as what other alternatives were possible.
In earlier articles, I graded the first, second and third rounds. Now I add their fifth and sixth round grades, and reexamine what I gave them earlier and have adjusted my second round grade slightly downward.
So get your pencils and scorecards ready as I announce the the Bears draft report card.
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Round 1: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
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The Bears were fortunate that Carimi fell to them at 29. In fact, as their pick drew near, the temptation to draft him was so great the Bears tried to work out a trade with Baltimore to move up three picks to grab the big, nasty offensive tackle.
Though the trade fizzled, a sore point between the Ravens and Bears now, Chicago got their man.
Protecting their most valuable offensive asset, Jay Cutler, was necessary after watching him get sacked more than bags of groceries during the 2010 season.
And while Carimi may not be able to stay at left tackle, he will be an immediate contributor on the line someplace.
Carimi has good size, and tremendous upper body strength. He plays with an edge. He doesn't just block opponents, he drives them 15 yards away.
In short, Carimi is a beast who can play either right tackle or guard, and assuming good health (Carimi did have some injuries in his college career), he should be a fixture on the Bears' O-line for years to come.
He even says all the right things. Despite growing up a Packers fan (hiss!), he now admits he has "seen the errors of my ways." (Quote from the 'Mully & Hanley Show' on WSCR-670AM radio in Chicago)
For once, it appears that Angelo got a first round pick right. I love this guy.
GRADE: A
Round 2: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
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The Chicago Bears' second-round pick was supposed to be the 62nd overall in the draft. But after watching DT Marvin Austin go off the board, taken by the Giants with the 52nd pick, GM Jerry Angelo acted quickly.
He did something he seldom does, trading up with Washington to obtain the 53rd pick, DT Stephen Paea out of Oregon State.
Chicago gave up its fourth-round pick to the Redskins to move up to take Paea.
Meanwhile, Paea is country strong—a former rugby player in New Zealand, he is as tough as it gets. This guy plays non-stop and his stamina does not wear down during games. He can knock offensive guards off balance with one arm.
The only concern is his health. Paea tore the lateral meniscus in right knee during first practice at the Senior Bowl and they performed surgery to clean out loose cartilage.
In fact, the only two reasons that this pick does not get an "A" from me are: 1) Knee surgery is risky; and, 2) they had to give up a fourth-round pick to get him.
They may have still gotten Paea even if they had remained where they were. But even if he was gone, I also liked USC's Jerrell Casey, who lasted until the 13th pick of the third round.
Still, the pick was solid. Paea's on and off the field intangibles are off the charts. He is a leader who is well liked by coaches and teammates.
Paea is a weight room warrior. He broke the combine record for reps on 225-pounds on bench press with 49. This translates to the field as he flashes explosive upper-body strength and shoots gaps well.
GRADE: B
Round 3: Christopher Conte, Safety, California
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Now, by the time the Bears picked in the third round, 92 players had been selected, leaving a fairly thin draft board to choose from.
The Bears took Christopher Conte, a safety from California. This became the first Bears pick that I was not excited about.
It's not so much Conte, although that is certainly a big part of my displeasure. But it's even more the fact that they needed a wideout or a true corner, not a safety.
Angelo has a habit of drafting defensive backs, as this is the 20th DB he has taken in 10 years.
Conte was a reserve safety his first three years at Cal, only moving to safety his senior season, so perhaps the Bears feel he could play there in the pros.
But I would have preferred Curtis Brown out of Texas, a true corner taken by the Steelers just two picks after Chicago.
Zach Zaidman tweets that "Bears DB coach Jon Hoke is good friends with Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast," and I'm sure that played into the Bears decision.
Oh, so now I get it. It's called nepotism.
As for Conte, he is physical and does have good size, but his man-to-man cover skills are lacking. Conte was ranked as the 15th best safety. They could have probably taken him in the fifth round.
GRADE: D-
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Round 4: Traded to Redskins
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The Bears traded their fourth-round pick to move up in the second round to select DT Stephen Paea.
While I like Paea, there were still a couple wide receivers on the board that could have helped the Bears.
For example, Indiana's Tanden Doss, while not a burner. has great hands and should make a solid slot receiver. Doss was taken by the Ravens with the 123rd overall pick in the round.
Pittsburgh was able to get two cornerbacks, in consecutive picks, that I like better than Conte. Cortez Allen went to them in Round 4
Green Bay took CB Davon House with the final pick in the round, and again, I would have preferred him over Conte.
Washington ended up trading the Bears' fourth round pick to Houston, who selected — guess what — a cornerback. Rashad Carmichael from Virginia Tech.
Round 5: Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho
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This is another head-scratcher from Angelo and his staff. Last year, the Bears wasted a pick on a developmental QB who was taken off the practice squad and never saw the light of day with the Bears.
Who is to say the same thing won't happen with Enderle?
I hope the Bears don't plan to go into 2011 with only Jay Cutler and this guy. They need Caleb Haney.
Plus, Enderle does not strike me as a QB who will be very successful in the NFL. He doesn't run well at all. He can move up in the pocket, yes, but his lateral movement and foot speed are awful.
He does have a strong arm, but he has a slow release. Maybe he could have succeeded 20 years ago but not now.
If they had to have a QB, why not Greg McElroy from Alabam? Or, perhaps a wideout. David Ausberry is a big, possession-type receiver. Both were seventh-round picks!
This pick was an utter failure.
GRADE: F
Round 6: J.T. Thomas, OLB, West Virginia
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Hey, wasn't this guy a folk singer back in the '70s?
Seriously, though, I did suggest that the Bears pick up a linebacker in the late rounds, since they only have two currently under contract.
Plus, they needed someone who can help on special teams.
Thomas probably can help, though he does not project as anything more than a reserve at this point.
Personally, I liked Ross Homan out of Ohio State. Homan is at least as good as Thomas, but scouts predict he has the potential to be a starter somewhere down the road.
But given that this was the 195th overall pick in the draft, the Bears did OK.
GRADE: C
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