Prediction Time

[dawhizz]

Now that we're inside two weeks before the draft, and we've gotten some idea of the players the Bears have brought in for workouts or observed at pro days, I'm wondering what people are thinking about what the Bears will do. This is not necessarily what you want them to do, but what you think will actually happen or what their strategy might be. I'm going to go all seven rounds, based on what I've been seeing in newspaper reports and who I think might be available when the Bears draft:

 

3) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA) - I don't think any of the good FSs like Nate Allen or Chad Jones will be available, though the Bears would almost certainly take one of those guys if they were available. The Bears keep working out 2nd-4th round CBs (Owusu-Ansah, Amari Spievey, Trevard Lindley) to the extent that I'm really starting to think it's a major possibility for their first pick. This is such a good CB draft that you can get a really good player when the Bears pick. We've all seen how much the Bears love to take the small-school DB (Manning, Tillman, Roosevelt Williams, Corey Graham), so my money's on Owusu-Ansah, who's a great fit in zone coverage and many are already comparing to Charles Tillman. While everyone's expecting a FS here, I think they wait one more round to take...

 

4) Robert Johnson, S, Utah - The Bears have been all over him this offseason, and with good reason. After guys like Allen and Jones, you can make a case that Johnson is the best pure FS available. Even though reports are his draft status is rising, this is still probably a little higher than most places have him slated to go. At this point, barring some kind of trade into the 2nd round, I really think Johnson's the odds-on favorite to be the Bears FS pick in this draft.

 

5) Tony Washington, OT, Abilene-Christian - Yes, this is the player who has already become notorious for having sex with his sister when he was a teen, so several teams are shying away from him. However, most reports say he's been up front about whatever the situation was and is trying to move on. Plus, he has legitimate talent as a tackle. Most say what he really needs is a strong support system and the sky's the limit. With a father-figure Texan as coach and fellow Abeline Christian alum Daniel Manning, not to mention a need at tackle, Washington actually makes a good amount of sense for the Bears.

 

**Trade down in the 6th to pick up an extra 7th. The Bears would like to get either DT Earl Mitchell or DT Nate Collins around this point, but when they're both gone, they trade down**

 

6) Reggie Stephens, OG, Iowa State - Mike Tice worked him out personally recently and reportedly came away impressed. While there are ton of zone-blocking guards in the draft, there really aren't that many power, isolation guys, which figures to be what the Bears will be looking for. Stephens is one of those exceptions, with real size (6'2" 322) and strength, with the versatility to play center or guard. If you believe the reports, Tice actually likes the O-linemen the Bears have, which helps explain why we haven't heard of a lot of 2nd-4th round linemen working out for the Bears.

 

7a) Brandon Deaderick, DT, Alabama - I think the Bears want at least one more body on the defensive line. They might prefer someone smaller and quicker, but both Gilbert and Melton fit that description, so the Bears might be interested in a guy who has a bit more size, but still has some quickness to him, and who comes from a big time program. Deaderick might be snatched up by 3-4 team to play end, but if not, he'd be good value here.

 

7b) Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss - It's pretty clear the Bears aren't in the market for a major upgrade at WR. But that hasn't kept them from looking at late round guys like Naaman Roosevelt and Freddie Barnes. So don't be surprised if the last pick of the day for the Bears is the best WR still on the board. This is always a crapshoot (like the rest of the draft, actually), but Hodge is one of those guys who has enough skills to intrigue (6'1", 214, 4.55 speed, 1,100 yards and 8 TDs last year), but doesn't stand out in any particular area. Worth taking a flier on at this point.

 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Here's my take:

 

RD3 Myron Lewis CB/S Vanderbilt -6-2 203 Great size/speed combo, can blitz, good hands, run stopper, long arms.

--->similar to Tillman, one of the two will move to FS

 

RD4 Zane Beadles G Utah - 6-4 310 Smart and very fundementally sound, good run blocker, works hard/stays on block

--->Allows Oyimale to move to RT

 

RD5 Brandon Spikes LB Florida 6-3 250 Run stuffer, great awareness and recognition, coverage. Slipping after combine.

---->3rd RD+ talent that slid b/c of poor 40 time and character issues. Game on field better than combine in shorts showed.

 

RD6 John Estes C Hawaii -6-2 295 Short arms but high fb IQ with toughness, quick and balanced.

---->Clone of Kreutz, comes from the cradel of centers.

 

RD7 Danny Batten DE S. Dakota St- Natural run stopper, leader & high effort.

----->Marinelli project to find someone to play opposite of Peppers

 

FA signees:

Malcom Sheppard DT Alabama 6-2 285 Ideal for one gap, good lat-quickness, explosive in pass rush, good instincts.

Naaman Roosevelt WR Buffalo 6-0 190 Good route runner, reaches top speed quickly, gets seperation, smart, proto-slot WR.

[ParkerBear7]

I really like both draft options: nice work men!

[defiantgiant]

Owusu-Ansah reminds me too much of Danieal Manning - elite athlete for his position, but scouts keep saying he has very very questionable instincts. I'd rather get a guy who's less of an athletic specimen but knows the position inside and out.

[Stinger226]

Here's my take:

 

RD3 Myron Lewis CB/S Vanderbilt -6-2 203 Great size/speed combo, can blitz, good hands, run stopper, long arms.

--->similar to Tillman, one of the two will move to FS

 

RD4 Zane Beadles G Utah - 6-4 310 Smart and very fundementally sound, good run blocker, works hard/stays on block

--->Allows Oyimale to move to RT

 

RD5 Brandon Spikes LB Florida 6-3 250 Run stuffer, great awareness and recognition, coverage. Slipping after combine.

---->3rd RD+ talent that slid b/c of poor 40 time and character issues. Game on field better than combine in shorts showed.

 

RD6 John Estes C Hawaii -6-2 295 Short arms but high fb IQ with toughness, quick and balanced.

---->Clone of Kreutz, comes from the cradel of centers.

 

RD7 Danny Batten DE S. Dakota St- Natural run stopper, leader & high effort.

----->Marinelli project to find someone to play opposite of Peppers

 

FA signees:

Malcom Sheppard DT Alabama 6-2 285 Ideal for one gap, good lat-quickness, explosive in pass rush, good instincts.

Naaman Roosevelt WR Buffalo 6-0 190 Good route runner, reaches top speed quickly, gets seperation, smart, proto-slot WR.

I like this draft alot, but here is my take:

RD3 John Jerry/OG/ Ole Miss, should be able to start on the left side right away.

 

RD4 Myron Lewis/FS/Vanderbilt A CB in college can become the FS we are missing.

 

RD5 Sam Young/OT/ND Could become our swing tackle when Schafer is gone.

 

RD6 Rafael Priest/CB/TCU A sleeper with some speed and a future.

 

RD7 Freddie Barnes/WR/ Bowling Green Cant argue with his production.

[jason]

Now that we're inside two weeks before the draft, and we've gotten some idea of the players the Bears have brought in for workouts or observed at pro days, I'm wondering what people are thinking about what the Bears will do. This is not necessarily what you want them to do, but what you think will actually happen or what their strategy might be. I'm going to go all seven rounds, based on what I've been seeing in newspaper reports and who I think might be available when the Bears draft:

 

3) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA) - I don't think any of the good FSs like Nate Allen or Chad Jones will be available, though the Bears would almost certainly take one of those guys if they were available. The Bears keep working out 2nd-4th round CBs (Owusu-Ansah, Amari Spievey, Trevard Lindley) to the extent that I'm really starting to think it's a major possibility for their first pick. This is such a good CB draft that you can get a really good player when the Bears pick. We've all seen how much the Bears love to take the small-school DB (Manning, Tillman, Roosevelt Williams, Corey Graham), so my money's on Owusu-Ansah, who's a great fit in zone coverage and many are already comparing to Charles Tillman. While everyone's expecting a FS here, I think they wait one more round to take...

 

4) Robert Johnson, S, Utah - The Bears have been all over him this offseason, and with good reason. After guys like Allen and Jones, you can make a case that Johnson is the best pure FS available. Even though reports are his draft status is rising, this is still probably a little higher than most places have him slated to go. At this point, barring some kind of trade into the 2nd round, I really think Johnson's the odds-on favorite to be the Bears FS pick in this draft.

 

5) Tony Washington, OT, Abilene-Christian - Yes, this is the player who has already become notorious for having sex with his sister when he was a teen, so several teams are shying away from him. However, most reports say he's been up front about whatever the situation was and is trying to move on. Plus, he has legitimate talent as a tackle. Most say what he really needs is a strong support system and the sky's the limit. With a father-figure Texan as coach and fellow Abeline Christian alum Daniel Manning, not to mention a need at tackle, Washington actually makes a good amount of sense for the Bears.

 

**Trade down in the 6th to pick up an extra 7th. The Bears would like to get either DT Earl Mitchell or DT Nate Collins around this point, but when they're both gone, they trade down**

 

6) Reggie Stephens, OG, Iowa State - Mike Tice worked him out personally recently and reportedly came away impressed. While there are ton of zone-blocking guards in the draft, there really aren't that many power, isolation guys, which figures to be what the Bears will be looking for. Stephens is one of those exceptions, with real size (6'2" 322) and strength, with the versatility to play center or guard. If you believe the reports, Tice actually likes the O-linemen the Bears have, which helps explain why we haven't heard of a lot of 2nd-4th round linemen working out for the Bears.

 

7a) Brandon Deaderick, DT, Alabama - I think the Bears want at least one more body on the defensive line. They might prefer someone smaller and quicker, but both Gilbert and Melton fit that description, so the Bears might be interested in a guy who has a bit more size, but still has some quickness to him, and who comes from a big time program. Deaderick might be snatched up by 3-4 team to play end, but if not, he'd be good value here.

 

7b) Shay Hodge, WR, Ole Miss - It's pretty clear the Bears aren't in the market for a major upgrade at WR. But that hasn't kept them from looking at late round guys like Naaman Roosevelt and Freddie Barnes. So don't be surprised if the last pick of the day for the Bears is the best WR still on the board. This is always a crapshoot (like the rest of the draft, actually), but Hodge is one of those guys who has enough skills to intrigue (6'1", 214, 4.55 speed, 1,100 yards and 8 TDs last year), but doesn't stand out in any particular area. Worth taking a flier on at this point.

 

That would be a pretty awesome draft.

[defiantgiant]

OK, here's my two cents. I'm assuming the Bears stand pat, which made it a little tough:

 

3. Darrell Stuckey, FS, Kansas - Played strong safety at Kansas, but a lot of scouts seem to think he projects better to free safety as a pro. If Chicago doesn't trade up to get Allen or Burnett, Stuckey could be an option at #75. Has good range and ball skills, plays well in zone coverage (although he struggles in man on quick receivers,) and can play centerfield in single-high situations. Always looking for turnovers, and is pretty effective going for the strip, which would fit well in Lovie's defense. Not an ideal pick, but if the Bears stand pat at #75, Stuckey might be the best of the rest.

 

4. Mike Johnson, LG, Alabama - Johnson could start at left guard immediately, allowing Omiyale to compete with Shaffer at RT and Beekman to stay on at center. He's been a durable starter, is a good short-yardage blocker, and should do well in pass protection. Limited as an athlete, but is intelligent, tenacious, and gets the job done even when it isn't pretty.

 

5. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA - Verner fits well as a zone corner, and could develop into a starting-caliber player behind Tillman. His durability and ridiculous level of production (279 career tackles, 13 interceptions, 56 passes deflected, 5 defensive TDs) would push him much higher in the draft, but his lack of pure speed will probably limit him to defenses like Chicago's that use corners in short-area coverage more often. Verner may never be great when isolated in man coverage on faster receivers, but he could turn into a productive-if-scheme-dependent starter, a la Nate Vasher circa 2005. At a minimum, he should be a quality nickel DB with the potential for more if used correctly.

 

6. Nate Collins, DT, Virginia - With Idonije moving to end full-time, Chicago needs depth on the interior d-line. Tommie Harris might be more effective if his snaps were limited in more of a rotation with another penetrating DT, but Marcus Harrison hasn't shown that he's that player. Collins might be: he's at his best when shooting gaps, and is a pretty good handfighter who can definitely shed blocks. Broke out as a senior with 84 tackles, 3 sacks, and 13 TFLs. Undersized and wouldn't hold up against the run an every-down player, but looks like a valuable piece in a rotation.

 

7. Chris Scott, RG, Tennessee - Not an immediate starter, but the Bears get a developmental RG behind Garza here. Scott played right guard for Tennessee before moving to left tackle, and should move back to guard in the NFL. He's got great strength as a drive-blocker and is pretty solid in pass-protection (his line set the NCAA record for fewest sacks allowed - 3 in 519 pass attempts - and Scott did not allow a sack as a senior.) Needs to improve quickness off the snap, but could end up being a good drive-blocking RG.

[madlithuanian]

Plus Robert Johson plays some mean blues...

 

That would be a pretty awesome draft.