A Bears First-Round Running Back
This draft pick would excite Bears fans to the point where maybe only Ohio State's wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be a more popular selection.
Face it, people rarely get excited about offensive linemen or even defensive linemen drafted in the first round but NFL.com draft veteran Chad Reuter mocked a pick so intriguing to the Bears in a four-round simulation that it tickles the imagination.
He has the Bears taking Texas running back Bijan Robinson at No. 9 during a four-round mock draft.
It's a move long-time Bears analyst Hub Arkush wrote about earlier in the week.
Reuter said this kind of pick can be risky.
"I dont blame teams avoiding running backs in the top 10 because of how many injuries occur at the position—but the Bears could make an exception for Robinson," Reuter wrote.
The Bears do have two backfield threats already, and there are questions about both. Recently acquire D'Onta Foreman has only touched the ball a little over 80 times a year in five seasons, with one year out for rehab from an Achilles tear. So, at best, he'd have to be considered a second back behind Khalil Herbert.
"Signing D'Onta Foreman does not take the Bears out of the running for this all-around offensive threat," Reuter wrote.
A back is always a popular choice in Chicago, a city known for running the ball and Walter Payton.
Putting Robinson in the same backfield with Justin Fields would pose a real predicament for run defenses, and Fields' deep passing off play-action would add to the challenge.
The only problem would be who blocks for him? The right tackle spot is still an issue.
Alex Leatherwood and Larry Borom are the candidates at right tackle now but Reuter addresses this issue in Round 2 at No. 53 with Matthew Bergeron, the Syracuse tackle.
A Canadian, Bergeron definitely has a hockey last name but is a solid line candidate because he has played both left and right tackle. At 6-foot-4 3/4, 318, he has the right size and his 5.2 speed in the 40 was good enough.
However, in Bergeron the Bears would have the same problem many people see in Peter Skoronski. His 33-3/4 inch arms are in the lower 33% of tackles for arm length. Also his 9 1/2-inch hands are in the lower 13% for hand size. Teams want tackles who can reach and with big hands. In essence, Bergeron is built more for playing guard.
Reuter has a real grasp on what the Bears' needs are and found a defensive tackle, end and cornerback for them in his four rounds.
The edge rusher was LSU's BJ Ojulari with the first pick in Round 3 at No. 64. The defensive tackle is Bowling Green's Karl Brooks, whose name gets mentioned more and more as a possibility and has already visited with the Bears according to TheDraftNetwork.
Ojulari is not really an ideal edge for the 4-3 at 6-2 1/8, 248, and is more of an outside linebacker in a 3-4.
Brooks can be a three technique but was used out over the tackle in college. In fact, NFL Draft Bible says he could be a three technique, as do several other scouting reports. He was said by many accounts to have had an excellent Senior Bowl week. He was snubbed by the combine and didn't have an invitation but his film and the Senior Bowl convinced many. NFLDB has him as a fourth-round pick.
Realizing the Bears could also be on the lookout for another play-making linebacker, Reuter had them take Dorian Williams with their last pick in this four-round draft at No. 133 overall. He has some of the traits desired for off-ball linebackers who have been successful in this scheme with blazint 4.49-second speed in the 40, putting him in the upper 6% of all linebackers.
However, he's not quite 6-1 and with just a so-so 33-1/2-inch vertical leap his great speed in pass coverage could be negated by lack of verticality. His 33 3/4-inch arms do make up for some of this as that's top 8% for linebackers according to MockDraftable.com
The cornerback Reuter found for the Bears was right on par with the defensive backs they drafted last year in Round 2. At 61 they selected Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes. He is extremely fast with 4.35-second speed in the 40 and a wingspan in the upper 8% for cornerbacks at 79 inches combined with a 37 1/2-inch vertical leap makes him all the better in coverage.
Cornerback can't be forgotten for the Bears with Kindle Vildor as their third starter and with Jaylon Johnson entering a contract year.
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