Bear Digest

Bears Catch Player Perceived to Be Sliding in Seven-Round Mock

One seven-round mock lands a player for Chicago who has been sliding for no real good reason but who would be an ideal Bears scheme fit.
Gene Chamberlain|
Clemson's Peter Woods sacks South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers during a November game.
Clemson's Peter Woods sacks South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers during a November game. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

A reminder of how early it is in this draft process is right there for anyone to see in the latest seven-round mock draft to come out from Pro Football Network, and it involves the Bears.

When mock drafts started picking up in numbers and interest, Clemson's Peter Woods kept coming up as a player who might be the first defensive tackle taken and someone the Bears would never have a shot at unless they traded up.

At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, his size is a scheme fit and he has the required athletic ability to flourish, but there are several top defensive tackles they could select in Round 1 at No. 25 and missing out on Woods wouldn't have been the end all.

Still, opinions seem to be trending down on Woods so this can benefit the Bears. He is graded 14th in Round 1 for Pro Football Focus after he had been as high as fourth. NFL Mock Draft Database has him as a player not drafted by anyone in Round 1 and on their big board he has dropped to 17th after he'd been eighth earlier.

Now, just a month or so after the process has picked up, overanalysis begins. Woods fell right into the Bears' laps at No. 25 in a seven-round mock draft for PFN by Jacob Infante. The selection shows both how the first-round picture changes drastically the closer we get to D-Day, and also a real knowledge of what the Bears would require in a defensive tackle.

"He’s an effective two-gapping defensive tackle against the run, and he also brings plenty of value on passing downs," Infante wrote about Woods. "That combination alone should make him highly sought after."

The Bears are not a true two-gap front. Nor are they the attacking single-gap front they were under Matt Eberflus. Dennis Allen's defense requires defensive linemen to drive back into blockers before attacking the ball. It was a technique the Bears had trouble with to some extent, especially early last year. A two-gap type would have no problem with this because they basically are required to engage blockers and occupy them so the linebackers can make tackles, anyway. It's kind of a crossover technique they use.

Woods should fit the Bears regardless of assignment. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com hit on this situation in his assessment of Woods for his draft bio.

"He’s not a pure one- or two-gap fit, but he’s capable in both schemes," Zierlein said. "He plays with good lower-body explosiveness into initial contact, keeping his hands and feet synced to work around blocks when needed. He’s more of an active brawler than double-team eating tree stump."

This is good, too, because the Bears seek out more athletic types who can move from position and assignment than monster plugs up front.

More defense later

The rest of Infante's draft puts a premium on and with safety Kamari Ramsey of USC at No. 57 overall in Round 2, chosen one spot before LSU safety A.J. Haulcy. With no safeties under contract, this must be a priority, and the second round was where they found free agent Jaquan Brisker.

In Round 3 at No. 89, the edge rush need was addressed with Michigan's Derrick Moore. At 260 pounds, he might not be an ideal scheme fit due to a lack of size. But Infante defended it by saying he was "...impressed by how he added power to his game, giving him strong Day 2 upside in this year's draft class."

It's size over speed on the edge for this Bears scheme, but both would be preferred. He passed on bigger Illinois edge Gabe Jacas to make this pick, though.

The rest of the draft was heavily defense with linebacker Kyle Louis of Pitt going to the Bears at No. 129 in Round 4, a year after they picked Ruben Hyppolite II in Round 4, and he couldn't find ways to get on the field even while they were inundated with injuries.

Also, they took defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor of Southeastern Louisiana in Round 7 at No. 242. It won't be a surprise for the Bears to take two edge or defensive tackles in this draft, because they have potential free agent losses besides needing better talent at the positions. Tackles Andrew Billings and Chris Williams and ends Dominique Robinson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka are free agents, while tackle-end Shemar Turner and DE Dayo Odeyingbo are coming off surgeries that could limit their participation initially next season.

The draft doesn't totally lean to the defense as there are a few offensive players, too.

With the way Woods' status has been moved back in this mock draft and some others, it would be an ideal start for the Bears to land a player regarded at one point as the best at his position, not to mention several players at needed positions on that side of the ball.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.