The first draft of the Ryan Poles era cannot be one that has the team whiffing. We can remember vividly how hard it was to deal with the Kevin White draft miss. While the Chicago Bears surely will not know which picks will be hits or misses, there are ways to avoid the colossal miss.
The freak injury can come, and anything can happen, but the team should not go shooting for the moon or betting on outliers during their first draft. Taking players that you can fit into the NFL and will have a solid floor is not bad for a first draft. That means avoiding the following players.
5. Roger McCreary, Auburn, CB
An SEC cornerback who was first-team All-American last season has started to gain draft steam for the Chicago Bears in round two. However, that may be too high for what he will bring to the NFL table.
The first issue with McCreary comes from his length. He played a role as a press-man cornerback, and while his length did not affect him in the SEC, he would have near the smallest arm length amongst cornerbacks.
Below is every cornerback to go to the NFL combine since 1990 with an arm length of 29″ or lower. Betting on McCreary is betting on an outlier.
Tim Hill
James Lott
Trumaine Washington
Eric Davis
Willie Thomas
Alan Grant
Chris McKenzie
Avery Williams
Blake Countess
Leonard Johnson
DeJuan Groce
Ben Kelly
Marcus Jones
Roger McCreary
Charles Brown
Cedrick Williams
Dexter Wynn
The arm length would be one thing if it was not the heart of his game in the NFL. Still, beyond that, he ran a 4.5 at the NFL combine which shows that he may not have the recovery speed or length. McCreary played outside in college, but his body fits much better off in the slot where he does not have to rely on press skills.
Still, in the slot, a cornerback is asked to play much more zone, and McCreary himself admitted that he was asked to play man and does not have experience in zone coverage.
So, if the Chicago Bears make McCreary one of their first picks they will be betting on someone with a length that has never been successful, a speed that is below average, and the most likely outcome for him would be a scheme shift to a somewhat new position. This is not how you start your tenure as General Manager.
The tape in the SEC is fun and he is combative, but his style of play will not hold up when there is an elite athlete up against him every snap, every game, 17 weeks a year.