Sep 22, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Just last week we spotlighted the pre-draft meetings and visits that the Chicago Bears had conducted and those meetings and news of those meetings will only continue to come out as we zoom towards the April 25th NFL Draft.  There were a couple of new visits announced today, but the big name to be confirmed is Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.  Te’o has been making the rounds lately, including visits to the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers.

I have wasted way too many bytes of data ripping on the idea of the Bears selecting Te’o, but Phil Emery will do his due diligence and bring him in for an interview.  Give the Bears credit for bringing him in under the radar, because he reportedly visited Halas Hall a couple of weeks ago.

Don’t put too much stock into the pre-draft visits.  As my intrepid reader John Mack did a little digging, the Bears brought in many, many prospects last season, but only Brandon Hardin and Alshon Jeffery were selected.  (more…)

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

For those monitoring the Manti Te’o situation closely, waiting to see if the Notre Dame Heisman candidate could improve on a poor NFL Scouting Combine performance, the results are in.  Te’o improved his sluggish 4.81 forty yard dash time at his Pro Day.

ESPN reported that Te’o unofficially ran a 4.71 and a 4.75. That’s a little faster than his 4.81 at the NFL Scouting Combine. In the end, it probably doesn’t make a huge difference what Te’o runs. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said as much on “NFL AM” on Tuesday, noting that Te’o isn’t getting drafted for his straight-line speed. The time is improved, but even a 4.81 wasn’t crazy slow for an inside linebacker.

Numerous scouts and draft experts still have a first round grade on Te’o, but a poor showing against Alabama in the National Championship game followed up by a poor showing at the Combine have put his legitimacy as a top prospect in doubt.  All of the on the field and measurable items aside, the dark cloud of his fake girlfriend scandal still hangs over his head.   Many mock drafts have the Bears taking Te’o in the first round.  GM Phil Emery gave the Bears some flexibility in replacing Brian Urlacher by adding DJ Williams and James Anderson.

I personally would stay away from Te’o in the draft.  I think he’s undersized and too slow to be consistently effective taking on NFL competition on Sundays.   He picked off a few passes and played well in spots, but I think people were blinded by his backstory rather than his production.

What do you think?  Did his improved time in the 40 change your mind?  Does it even matter?  Should the Bears consider Te’o or stay away?

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Manti Te’o may have run himself right out of the first round of the NFL draft after running a very pedestrian 4.82 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.  I’ve gone on record saying that the Bears should not draft Te’o – and that was before the catfishing scandal broke.

Te’o is one of college football’s most decorated linebackers, but a poor showing against Alabama in the National Championship game already cast a shadow of doubt on his legitimacy as a 3-down middle linebacker on Sundays.  Can he shed blockers?  Does the Heisman runner-up have the speed and strength to take on NFL sized offensive linemen and running backs?  Was he simply distracted?   (more…)

Note, you need an ESPN Insider subscription to get access to the full mocks, so sign up and do it.

Mel Kiper’s Mock 2.0 goes with an obvious need for the Bears, the offensive line:

D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

A fourth-year junior, Fluker was allowed to participate at the Senior Bowl, and he took advantage. He has great size, and has extremely long arms he can use to move and frustrate pass-rushers. It’s possible he was overlooked a little during the season because the level of play along the Bama offensive line was so good. I think when Marc Trestman starts rolling the tape on the Bears, he’s going to see that the offensive line simply has to see a talent infusion. Fluker could be the best one the Bears have by the end of his rookie year.

I really like this selection for the Bears, especially since he has the top tackles including Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson off the board.   Fluker may be able to play left tackle, but he’d certainly address the right tackle spot with his massive size.

Here’s McShay’s Mock 2.0, where he goes in another direction, addressing the imminent Brian Urlacher departure:

Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame

Left tackle is the Bears’ biggest need, but they cannot afford to miss at that position again after whiffing on the likes of Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams. Any tackle still on the board would be a reach here, and if Chicago elects to let 35-year old MLB Brian Urlacher walk in free agency, Te’o would be an interesting replacement with his three-down ability.

While the Chicago Bears continue to labor to find a head coach, we’ve got mock drafts to do to figure out the new direction the Bears will take in 2013.  As important as the head coach selection will be, the Bears’ first round selection is that much more critical.

As we’re still trying to sort through the college prospects to create our own mock draft, we’ll go to the Mother Ship’s site to check out FanSided’s official mock for this week and which player they have the Bears taking at #20.  This most recent mock had me picking my jaw up off the floor.  
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