Chicago Bears NFL 2013 Draft Preview – TV Coverage, Times

Apr 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Select NFL prospects stand atop the marquee before for the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Draft Day!  

Besides the opening game, this has to be my favorite NFL event.  Every team is involved and it’s loaded with drama, intrigue and suspense.   The NFL did themselves a huge favor to moving this to a prime time multi-night event.  Here’s how the coverage breaks down:

Round 1

Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 PM CDT

TV – NFL Network and ESPN

Time Limits – 1o minutes per pick

Given how draft has gone, this round takes about 3-3.5 hours to complete.  Since the Bears are expected to be drafting about 2/3 of the way through, make sure you’re in front of the tube no later than 9PM if you don’t want to sit through the talking heads mince through the first 19 selections.

Rounds 2-3

Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM CDT

TV – NFL Network and ESPN to start at 5:30 PM, then kicking over to ESPN2 at 7PM when the Worldwide Leader’s top station picks up NBA playoffs.

Time Limits – 7 minutes in Round 2, 5 minutes in Round 3.

Rounds 4-7

Saturday, April 27 at 11AM CDT

TV – NFL Network and ESPN

Time Limits – 5 minutes per pick

The Chicago Bears enter the 2013 NFL draft with five selections – Nos. 20 (Round 1), 50 (2), 117 (4), 153 (5) and 188 (6).  There are rampant rumors and speculations that the Bears will try to trade down.  The tough part is that it takes two to tango.  There needs to be another willing partner willing to trade up.  Dan Pompei wrote an interesting piece about three possible trading partners for the Bears including the Atlanta Falcons and Phil Emery’s pal Thomas Dimitroff at #30 the San Francisco 49ers, holders of 13 draft picks at pick #31 and the Houston Texans, who hold nine picks.  I especially like Pompei’s idea of parlaying the trade down to pick up even more later round picks.

NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport reports that the Minnesota Vikings could move ahead of the Bears to take Manti Te’o:

If that pans out, I’m buying the Vikings Te’o jerseys for my Vikings pals.

Second year GM Phil Emery has a lot to prove in this draft.  Last season he took some risks with Shea McClellin, Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Hardin, Evan Rodriguez and a couple of corners to be named later.  Jeffery was the top of the class from a production standpoint while McClellin flashed potential but not as much production.

Emery can’t come out of this draft with such limited production.  He needs to fill voids at linebacker, guard/center, cornerback and DT.  Don’t forget, Jay Cutler is in the last year of his deal, so it’s entirely possible the Bears could go after a project for new head coach Marc Trestman.

Who will Emery go after?  In the past, the Bears have drafted at least a couple of guys they’ve had in for a pre-draft visit.  Here’s an updated list of who they’ve met with thanks to our friends at WalterFootball:

Robert Alford, DB, Southeast Louisiana (PRI)
Kiko Alonso, LB, Oregon (PRI)
Terron Armstead, OL, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (EW)
Alan Baxter, DL, Northern Illinois (PRO)
Jon Bostic, LB, Florida (PRI)
Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State (PRI)
Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford (VINT)
Josh Evans, S, Florida (EW)
Matt Evans, LB, New Hampshire (EW)
Reid Fragel, OT, Ohio State (PRI)
Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA (SR)
Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State (PRI)
Tyrone Goard, WR, Eastern Kentucky (EW)
Zaviar Gooden, LB, Missouri (PRI)
Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers (PRI)
Jeremy Harris, DB, New Mexico (INT)
Stefphon Jefferson, RB, Nevada (COM)
Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma (COM) (INT)
Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado (INT)
Edmond Kugbila, OL, Valdosta State (PRI)
Robert Lester, DB, Alabama (SR#)
Zach Line, RB, SMU (EW)
Bradley McDougald, S, Kansas (EW)
Brandon McGee, DB, Miami (PRI)
Rashaan Melvin, DB, Northern Illinois (PRO)
Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M (INT) (EW)
Jordan Mills, OT, Louisiana Tech (COM)
Keavon Milton, TE, Louisiana-Monroe (PRI)
Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia (PRI)
Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M (COM)
Keith Pough, LB, Howard (INT)
Sean Progar, DL, Northern Illinois (PRO)
Justin Pugh, OL, Syracuse (COM)
Kevin Reddick, LB, North Carolina (INT)
Eric Rogers, WR, Cal Lutheran (PRO)
Supo Sanni, DB, Illinois (PRO)
Brian Schwenke, OL, California (PRI)
Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M (PRI)
Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame (PRI)
Don Unamba, DB, Southern Arkansas (PRI)
B.W. Webb, DB, William & Mary (PRI)
Brandon Williams, DL, Missouri Southern (SR)

What do you think?  What’s your Chicago Bears draft prediction?  Who would you like to see them take?  Which selection would upset you?  In what scenario would it be OK for them to trade down?  Let’s see your comments.