Todd McShay released his latest mock draft, Mock 3.0 earlier this week. Now that the Combine is over, some of the dust is starting to settle and player rankings are starting to fall in line. McShay Mock 3.0 has the Chicago Bears selecting nose tackle Danny Shelton:
"Shelton could become the centerpiece of the Bears’ new 3-4 front in coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense. They really need a versatile, big body, and Shelton provides that as a stout run defender who can occasionally collapse the pocket as a pass-rusher. Chicago also needs to add an edge rusher or two, which is why I considered slotting Missouri’s Shane Ray here, but I think the team can look to address that need, as well as safety, on Day 2."
McShay has the Bears passing on pass rushers like Shane Ray and Vic Beasley to select Shelton. With Dante Fowler gone #3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Randy Gregory off the board at #5 to the Redskins, getting the best player – or at least the best defender available – makes a heck of a lot of sense for the Bears.
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Another interesting development in this mock draft is West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White jumping over Amari Cooper to be the top wide receiver to be selected. If a couple of wide receivers and a couple of quarterbacks go ahead of the Bears selection at #7, that’s good news for Ryan Pace. That should move a couple of better defenders down the board for the Bears to pick or put them in a better position to trade down to grab an extra pick or two.
What do you think of the selection of Shelton? He’s clearly the best 3-4 DT in the draft. Do you think he’s worth a top selection or would you rather see the Bears address a pass rusher or safety? Landon Collins was McShay’s Mock 1.0 pick for the Bears, but most draft boards have him sliding into the middle of the first round despite being the top safety in a weak draft class for that position.