| Carl Setterlund. 29th April, 2006 - 3:06 am
 2005-06 Record: 11-5
Draft Position: 26th
Picks:
1st Round: 26
2nd Round: 57
3rd Round: 88
4th Round: 120
5th Round: 159
6th Round: 185
7th Round: none
Team needs: On a team with that pays such attention to their defense you’d definitely expect Chicago to address some problems at cornerback. They did that in part by signing Ricky Manning Jr. but he really isn’t a starter on a great secondary, so that could be looked at in the first day. While the linebacker core is strong on the surface it lacks depth making it a secondary concern, or in other words, something to be addressed in rounds 2-4. Where I really see a need is on the offensive side of the ball. Great strides were made in adding something to the offensive core last season. Muhsin Muhammad is a number one receiver in a lot of offenses and provides a great red zone target. Mark Bradley, a second round pick last year, offers a playmaking aspect to the receiving core, but there’s just something missing. There isn’t that third guy for Rex Grossman to look for (speaking of Grossman, QB isn’t exactly a strong point). Thomas Jones is a good receiving running back but soon the reins are going to be given to Cedric Benson who isn’t much of a receiver. Desmond Clark hasn’t provided much at tight end, so either that or wide receiver is where I see the biggest need for the Chicago Bears. Lastly is the offensive line. While I see the Bears’ line as one of the best in the NFL, they are certainly not a young group. Fred Miller, Ruben Brown and John Tait are all in their thirties and you know that can’t mean anything but bad things down the line. Investing in a lineman, should it be a good value pick, is definitely an option.
First round breakdown: As I mentioned in team needs, cornerback and linebacker are both areas that need depth but the situation isn’t dire. On the offensive line, someone could be developed, but I don’t think that means drafting a Marcus McNeill. I think the option in the first round boils down to three or four players. Some expects are predicting that Chad Jackson falls a little bit, but I don’t see it happening, so rule him out. I think the perfect addition to the receiving core would be Sinorice Moss, a burner in the true sense, even though he is undersized. Moss would also serve as a playmaking return man, and special teams could definitely use some work. But those who read “The Not-So Jeff Risdon” mock draft will know that I have Sinorice Moss going to the New York Giants just one pick ahead of Chicago. With all the success Steve Smith had last year I think Moss’ stock is on the rise and ends up just a fraction ahead of where the Bears pick. Because I don’t see any more wide receivers available I think Chicago turns to tight end for some help. Either the freak athlete Leonard Pope out of Georgia or Marcedes Lewis out of UCLA who is a better receiving tight end. Pope comes in at nearly 6-8 and 258 lbs and runs a 4.62 forty. He’s rawer then Lewis but has greater upside. However, the 6-6 Lewis still has a lot of potential as well. His 4.84 forty time hurt his stock but I still think he’s a first rounder. I think Lewis is both the better receiver and the better blocker. His blocking skills are underrated and he doesn’t get much credit for it, but they’re there. I think the ‘Mercedes’ would be a great fit in the Chicago offense and he’s the best available target if Moss and Jackson are off the board.
Predicted selection – Marcedes Lewis, tight end, UCLA
Overall outlook: In the end it’s hard to say what the outlook is for the Bears. The only have six picks in this draft but the pick that they’re missing is the least important one (their seventh rounder). Secondly there are few holes to fill, so had they had an excess of picks, they could have ended up trading several of them anyways. That said, Chicago doesn’t have the most attractive draft situation out there. At 26th and without any extra picks to throw around, the Bears are one of the few teams that don’t have a great amount of options. In the first round, depending on how things turn out, Chicago could be strapped. Offense is the most pressing need and there aren’t going to be a great amount of options there. If they’re in luck one of the first round caliber receivers will fall a little, but even so, one of the top tight ends makes for a good pick. The problem that comes up is that past the first round things don’t look as rosy. I’m honestly not sure that there will be a multitude of cornerback and linebacker prospects available in the second and third rounds. The top seven or eight prospects at each position could be gone by then. No matter, because even if a guy like Cedric Griffin is gone, there are, as I always say, options. Is Deuce Lutui available when they pick? What about Jonathan Scott? Both are possibilities. In the end, it isn’t going to be the most exciting draft for Bears fans. The consequence of becoming good is that the drafts aren’t as exciting. I don’t think the Bears are in any trouble at all. Brian Griese and Ricky Manning Jr. were both solid signing over the offseason and it takes a lot of pressure off of the draft. Chicago may end up being one of the teams that has just an average draft, but given their situation, that may be all they need. |
