Latest Mock Drafts Point Bears Toward Secondary
Pro Football Focus is out with its official PFF Mock Draft 1.0, and unlike many mock drafts at this point they've gone only one round.
They must be pacing themselves.
It's just as well for Bears fans because PFF never finds positives for this team.
One potential pick often associated with the Bears in other mocks in Round 2 is Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn, nephew of Broncos great Steve Atwater. PFF had an analysis classifying Chinn as took risky to take and more of a Day 3 kind of guy.
If the Bears hadn't been reported to have talked twice with Chinn, PFF probably would have classified Chinn as a steal in Round 2.
There are people who've put forth the effort for multiple rounds in recent mock drafts.
Sports Illustrated
In his last Sports Illustrated mock that went three rounds, Kevin Hanson had the Bears going all out to solve their starting cornerback problem.
Hanson had the Bears taking Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 43rd pick, and then coming back seven picks later at No. 50 with another cornerback, Auburn's Noah Igbinoghene.
You have to admire the thinking here. Hanson identified the greatest problem facing the Bears and took two stabs at it—not just one.
In the process he ignored Chinn, PFF's latest punching bag. In his mock, there wasn't really a viable guard/tackle to take at this point, although Lucas Niang of TCU was available at No. 50 in his mock.
In real life Bears fans won't exactly be forgiving if they devote two second-round picks to one position when there are at least four pressing needs and they don't pick again after Round 2 until the 17th pick of Round 5.
CBSSports.com
CBS's Ryan Wilson released a seven-round mock draft on Tuesday and had the Bears select Louisiana offensive lineman Robert Hunt at No. 43 and Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. at No. 50.
Hunt is from Louisiana, not Louisiana State. It's the school formerly known as Louisiana-Lafayette. While their program has upgraded greatly over the years, it's not a real power school and taking a player of this level at No. 43 while turning their back on USC tackle Austin Jackson, as Wilson did, is a way to invite trouble.
The Bears need proven players from proven power schools and less project types from Pokipsie Polytechnic.
The second pick again invites disaster. Somehow he has LSU safety Grant Delpit falling to the Bears at No. 50, and the Bears passing on him to take the 5-9, 203-pound Winfield at the position.
Delpit is 6-3, 213 and played for the national champions. Delpit is physical but can cover, and at 6-3 has the physical tools to be the ideal complement to ball-hawking safety Eddie Jackson. Winfield doesn't.
Wilson selected Dane Jackson, a cornerback from Pitt for the Bears in Round 5. He ran a slow 4.57-second 40 at the combine and the website NFLcombineresults.com called him a comparable player to Jacoby Glenn. The Bears have been there and done that long ago. They got rid of Glenn after the 2016 season.
The rest of Wilson's draft is surprisingly powerful considering the poor start in rounds 2-5. He took Rhode Island receiver Isaiah Coulter in round 6. Although Coulter is a non-bowl series player, he had physical skills that made him jump out late in the draft at No. 196. He's 6-2 and ran a strong 4.42-second 40-yard dash. He just needs to work on routes, according to scouting reports.
The second sixth-round pick was the son of former Bear Andy Heck, 6-8, 311-pound Charlie Heck. It could solve their left tackle troubles, or at least spark Charles Leno to try harder. Many seven-round mocks put Heck in the fifth or even fourth round.
At No. 205 in Round 7 Wilson supplied the Bears with a developmental quarterback, fiery Tyler Huntley of Utah. He is about Rex Grossman's height but moves extremely fast. He didnt get invited to the combine, but at a cyber pro day Huntley supposedly ran faster than Jalen Hurts did at the combine with a 4.56. Hurts ran 4.59. Huntley has a strong arm but isn't an ideal pocket passer.
The last pick was DeeJay Dallas, Miami's running back who showed ability but wasn't really used enough.
ESPN.com
Finally, one of ESPN's two big foot draft experts, Todd McShay, showed real knowledge of the needs the Bears have and went with safe picks in the first mock draft he has done extending beyond Round 1.
McShay had the Bears selecting Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 43 overall and passing on Chinn. They do need a cornerback at least as much as a safety, and safeties can be found later in drafts. Good corners are not as easy to find after the first two days.
McShay also solved a real Bears problem at pick No. 50, the one caused by cutting Taylor Gabriel.. He has them selecting TCU receiver Jalen Reagor at No. 50.
Reagor's suddenness and leaping ability could make him an ideal Z receiver in Matt Nagy's offense.
McShay had the Bears pass on combine phenom Chase Claypool to take Reagor. He also had TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney (4.48) go later and took the slower cornerback in Arnette (4.56). But it is true Ohio State has a habit of producing good pass rushers and pass defenders.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
