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Chicago Bears NFL Draft Prospect Watch: New Year’s Day Bowl Games

By Mike "Boomer" Burzawa

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Dec 30, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the football helmets of the Stanford Cardinal (left) and Michigan State Spartans at press conference for the 100th Rose Bowl at LA Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the football helmets of the Stanford Cardinal (left) and Michigan State Spartans at press conference for the 100th Rose Bowl at LA Hotel Downtown. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Rose Bowl: Stanford vs. Michigan State (Jan. 1, 5 p.m. ET)

 Stanford

DE Trent Murphy

Murphy led the nation in sacks with 14 in 2013 and also added 1.7 tackles for loss per game .  He stands at 6’6″ but weighs in at only about 261 pounds.  He has played outside linebacker for the Cardinal, but could project as a DE in the NFL.  He’s the third ranked DE and is expected to be selected in the first round.

Others to watch:  OG David Yankey (Round 1), ILB Shayne Skov (Round 2) and DE Josh Mauro (Round 3-4).

Michigan State

CB Darqueze Dennard

Dennard is the top ranked cornerback prospect according to CBS Sports.  He routinely shut down half the field for the Spartans, allowing only three pass completions of 15 yards or more in 31 attempts.  The big question is whether he’ll be around when the Bears pick at #14.

Others to watch: OLB Denicos Allen (Round 5), S Isaiah Lewis (Round 5) and ILB Max Bullough (Round 5-6).

November 21, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) reads the defense against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports
November 21, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Blake Bortles (5) reads the defense against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports /

Fiesta Bowl: UCF vs. Baylor (Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET)

UCF

QB Blake Bortles

Bortles has good size and a smooth release and has been rising on many draft boards.  In fact, he could be the top quarterback off the board.

Baylor

SS Ahmad Dixon

Dixon is one of the top safety prospects on many draft boards.  He’s got a reputation as a solid tackler who likes to get involved in the run game.  At 6’0″ and 205, he’s got the size to back it up.

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