Mock Drafts Run into Trouble with Second Bears Selection
Perhaps it's a burden taking a second player for the team in the same round of a mock draft or the computers broke down.
Either way, mock drafts this week have taken on a common theme for the Chicago Bears -- that second pick of Round 2 produces rather disappointing results.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com, Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com and the first Chicago Tribune mock draft all came up with players at pick No. 50 who would have Bears fans taking to social media with pitchforks, or scratching their heads at best.
All of the mock drafters hit the target on their first picks.
NFL.com
Reuter had LSU safety Grant Delpit falling to the Bears at No 43, a pick the Bears would no doubt love even if they were thinking wide receiver, cornerback or guard with their first pick in Round 2. Delpit and Eddie Jackson in the secondary would be like an all-time SEC great safety corps.
At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Delpit has the size and physical approach to the game to be a versatile safety in the scheme used by Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. The only question with the pick is how they could ever see him falling all the way to No. 43.
At No. 50, Reuter picked Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins. While this might please some of those ready to storm Halas Hall for the decision to sign Jimmy Graham, it's still a totally wasted pick because it's aimed at the future and the Bears have obvious current needs for those second-round picks.
Hopkins is talented enough, but he'd be tight end No. 11 under contract. They could field an entire side of tight ends with this group, maybe put Trey Burton of Philly Special fame at quarterback. But this isn't realistic football. Graham and Demetrius Harris are in place to carry the torch when Burton and Adam Shaheen get injured again, and there are other options. They need to use the second-round picks for players who will contribute this year.
The other problem with the Hopkins pick is passing over Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler and Michigan edge rusher Josh Uche to pick a tight end. The Bears could definitely use Hamler's breakaway speed at receiver, although he's more of a slot and they need an outside receiver with speed. They have two high-level edge rushers but could use that third rusher.
CBS Sports
The CBS Sports seven-round mock starts much the same way, with a player no one on the Bears could turn down. Edwards had Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs falling to the Bears at pick No. 43. Then you've got Jackson and another Crimson Tide defensive back together in the secondary.
It's at pick No. 50 where the train rolls off the track, as Fresno State offensive lineman Netane Muti is Edwards' pick.
While the Bears definitely need another blocker, drafting an offensive lineman from Fresno State would never do for the 50th pick of the draft. Far worst than this is selecting a lineman with the injury history of Muti, who finished three college seasons watching due to injuries to his feet. Actually, two of the injuries were his Achilles and one was to his foot. Ryan Pace couldn't afford to draft anyone with this shaky of a past.
This was a seven-round draft and Edwards redeemed himself with some shrewd picks later at need spots. Tight end Devin Asiasi would make it 11 tight ends at Halas Hall but at least it's in Round 5 and he's a player with receiving and blocking skills.
The two Round 6 picks were even more run with Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety Brian Cole of Mississippi State going to the Bears. Edwards points out how one of the draft's top players, Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, called Cephus the toughest player he had to cover last year.
In the final round he took inside linebacker Kamal Martin of Minnesota and defensive lineman McTelvin Agim from Arkansas. The Bears need to replace depth because they lost defensive lineman Nick Williams and inside linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis.
Tribune
Chicago Tribune beat columnist Brad Biggs made his paper's first mock, which is a top-50 pick and draft to let the Bears get both second-round picks made.
He took cornerback Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn, a selection which drew some social media fire but one which would bring the Bears an excellent athlete who started two years at cornerback in the SEC and did it effectively. Igbinoghene needs to become a better tackler and have better hand use in coverage, which is understandable because he's a converted wide receiver. But he has the athletic ability as the son of two Olympians.
The second pick in Round 2 for the Bears here was nowhere near as disappointing as the other two mocks, but was almost a makeup selection. Biggs had the Bears take USC wide receiver Michael Pittman, a very productive college receiver.
The problem here is Pittman isn't necessarily a speed receiver like the Bears need. He only ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52, a hundreth of a second faster than Javon Wims. There's no question he's capable of starting immediately and contributing.
It was almost a pick made to make up for losing Notre Dame's Chase Claypool, who Biggs had going the pick before Pittman. At the combine, Pittman had ridiculous 4.42-second 40 speed for a player 6-foot-2, 238 pounds. It made some observers look at him and call him the new DK Metcalf, or suggest he might make a superstar U-tight end more than a wide receiver.
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