Today, Bear Goggles On Site-Expert Parker Hurley unveils his Chicago Bears mock draft 1.0
Now that free agency has officially dwindled down, and the NFL combine has been completed, there is little to learn about these teams between now and the NFL draft. Even moves made at this point will unlikely sway draft needs. With that said, it is now a good time to explore some seven-round mock drafts for the Chicago Bears. Over the coming weeks, a variety of mocks will be unveiled exploring a variety of scenarios. The idea is to create player discussion. I am using fanspeak.com to conduct the mock draft and will use different rankings for each version. For our first mock, we use Matt Miller of Bleacher Report.
The way that the board broke in this draft leaves Nelson as the top player available at the time of selection. Heck, if Quenton Nelson is on the board by the time the team picks, he should always be the best player available.
I personally have Nelson regarded as the top player in this draft class. There is no prospect safer, and that includes Saquon Barkley and all of the quarterbacks. His ceiling is as high as any of those prospects, and he comes in with a starting skill set on day one. There are few holes to poke in his personal background, and little reason to see him being anything less than a serviceable starter as a floor. Yes, he is so good that if he becomes an average NFL starter, it could look like a bust to some. At pick eight, and at a position of need with the release of Josh Sitton, this should be a no-brainer.
The Chicago Bears saw themselves enamored in an athlete from Georgia who could rush the passer just two years ago. They may also see themselves eyeing up Lorenzo Carter, a former top recruit from Georgia.
Carter is a freak athlete. It is going to put him in the first round conversation. However, his play is still pretty raw. He does not have a pass-rushing plan and tends to rely on his speed and athleticism. Some of his best plays on tape has come off of the ball. Carter is quick in moving sideline to sideline and is able to chase down running backs in the passing game.
With his high degree of athleticism and overall skill set, he could be turned into an elite pass rusher. With Aaron Lynch, who is still a very refined pass rusher, even he lost a step, it could be a nice help. Lynch uses his hands well and could show Carter a thing or two. His former teammate and a person he clearly knows in Leonard Floyd could help ease him into the NFL as well. The team can use him in a variety of ways as a rookie while they develop him, including off of the ball. Vic Fangio loves versatility and Ryan Pace loves athleticism. Lorenzo Carter could be in play.
Duke Dawson was a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school. He was able to spend time at safety, in the slot and as an outside cornerback at Florida. In the NFL, he translates to the slot as his best fit.
Duke Dawson is quick footed and has a good ability to mirror routes in the short to intermediate passing game. His issue in coverage is his ability to turn his hips and chase wide receivers deep. Add in being under 6’ tall and he should translate well to the slot. He can match routes and change directions quickly. Bryce Callahan may be brought back, but he is not a long-term option in the slot. With his safety experience, Dawson can start in dime situations as a rookie with his eyes on jumping into the slot long term.
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Some may see the receiving corps as a whole and think that drafting one in the first three rounds is overkill. However, Coutee could be seen as a value in this regard, and as a timely skill player.
Coutee is essentially a cross between Taylor Gabriel and Tarik Cohen. He ran routes out of the backfield and made plays with the ball in his hands. He also took the top off of defenses. Gabriel has a high yard per catch rate, but a lot of that comes from his yards after the catch ability.
While Cohen can be a deep threat, he Coutee is a more refined receiver who can use double moves and the fear of quick breaking routes to allow even more separation deep. Coutee is just another gadget player who can get on the field in packages as a rookie. If something were to happen to Cohen or Gabriel in the short or long term, he would be there. Adding in that he has more deep threat ability than either of the two makes him a reasonable pick at this juncture.
Jack Cichy sat out the entire 2017 season, and therefore is flying under the radar. However, in looking back to his 2016 season, he could have been a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Cichy tore his ACL before the start of his junior season in Wisconsin. Jack Cichy could have gone back for a senior year at Wisconsin, but knew his 2016 tape would get him drafted, and that he could prove himself from there.
In fact, Cichy already is. He tested in everything but his 40-yard dash and put up above average weight adjusted scores in most areas. The most important areas, change of direction and explosion, were some of his better numbers.
Though he didn't run a 40, @BadgerFootball LB Jack Cichy posted a very strong #RAS with the drills he was able to complete at his pro day. pic.twitter.com/t6nVNLzt91
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 14, 2018
Ryan Pace was able to get a steal and eventual starter in Eddie Jackson thanks to a college injury. Is this the same case with Jack Cichy. He could be a special teams contributor early, but is a better overall athlete than Nick Kwiatkowski and could be the better player sooner than later.
Jack Cichy jumping into a starting role a year removed from an ACL injury would be great. It is still not a fool-proof plan. The Bears continue to find value and add to the position with Micah Kiser. Kiser is a big, downhill linebacker who can bang in between the tackles. He is not the quickest to diagnose and react in coverage, but Trevathan and the hope of Cichy are better bets in that regard.
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Kiser can sub in behind Nick Kwiatkowski as the backup MACK and may be in competition with Kwiatkowski. Kiser can contribute on special teams early and may be able to find himself in a starting role if the cards break right.
The team could go into the last stage of the offseason with Kiser and Cichy next to John Timu as the three back-up inside linebackers. With Carter added as a pass rusher who can move off of the ball, the linebacker position should be fully addressed at this point.
The Bears have found some help in the seventh round with Charles Leno. They may be trying to go back to that well with Will Richardson. There are some issues with his technique and some questions with his off of the field. However, that is what makes him a seventh-round shot.
His upside is tremendous. He was one of the more athletic tackles at the combine and has the entire base of skills that set him up to be a potential starter down the line.