Bears Face a Draft Day Gauntlet

If the Bears really want Jalen Carter in the draft, they should have plenty of alternatives lined up because they're going to be waiting in line.

About two months ago, it was hard to find a mock draft not naming Jalen Carter as the draft's No. 1 pick by the Bears.

A few had Will Anderson Jr. but the defensive tackle made more sense based on scheme and Carter's unique abilities, somewhat like a larger version of Aaron Donald.

A no-contest plea to racing and reckless driving charges, a trade down and the Bears have had to realize something they didn't need to worry about while sitting in the No. 1 position.

They no longer control their own draft fate.

Like almost every other team now except Carolina and maybe Houston, the Bears' draft fate is entirely in the hands of other teams.

Numerous teams can impact their draft. The teams choosing ahead of them impact any chance they might have of getting Carter.

Matt Miller of ESPN reported this week the Bears covet Carter and would not let him fall past No. 9. The out-of-town draft bystander might wonder why they just didn't draft Carter if they wanted him so much. Getting a star wide receiver, a first-round pick next year and two second-round picks in addition to the ninth pick this year was the reason.

Assuming the Bears really still do have designs on Carter, it's fairly obvious they face a gauntlet and it's extremely unlikely they'll get the chance to select him.

Here are the teams dictating their fate if they want Carter.

1. Arizona Cardinals at No. 3.

If they don't take Anderson here or trade back with one of the teams looking for a quarterback, then Carter could very well be a selection. It is difficult to take a risk with a player who has a red flag next to his name when you own the third pick. The Bears are a little better equipped to take such a risk because they've already gotten DJ Moore and the full package of draft picks in return for moving down.

2. Seattle Seahawks at No. 5

It would seem unlikely Carter could get past the Seahawks but you never know. Corbin K. Smith of FanNation's All Seahawks points out this could be the year Seattle addresses the other big defensive need they have, one they historically have neglected. He writes it's possible they could go after either of the top two cornerbacks, Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez.

The thinking is they would need someone to team with last year's fifth-round find.

"Since John Schneider and Pete Carroll arrived in 2010, the Seattle Seahawks have excelled at developing cornerbacks picked in the fourth round or later, including fifth round pick Tariq Woolen last season," Smith wrote.

Cornerback has a relatively low hit rate and larger miss rate in first rounds compared to defensive ends and in some cases tackles.

So the Seahawks taking Carter looks like more of a sure thing than the Cardinals.

3. Detroit Lions at No. 6

If Carter fell to No. 6, it would be a minor miracle if he made it past Detroit.

Carter's talent is worth any team taking a risk on at this point in Round 1 anyway, but especially if you're Detroit.

The Lions have a fairly mediocre group at linebacker and have addressed their secondary issues in free agency. They're confident enough in what they've done at cornerback to have dealt away Jeff Okudah this week. It's the interior of their defensive line where they have more problems, because Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston took care of edge rush last year quite well. Those two were 1-2 among rookies in sacks.

Detroit's defensive tackles aren't terrible but getting a dominant player like Carter could complete their line. A line like this would make their below-average linebacker group better. It would make their secondary excellent.

Beyond all of that, if there is a risk on Carter as far as character, few teams in the draft are better equipped to handle this. That's because the Lions have another first-round pick at No. 18 and two second-round picks, the last one at No. 55. Any team with that many picks in the first 55 can absorb a mistake early, if it even turns out to really be one.

4. Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7

The Raiders have defensive needs but cornerback could be the greatest one.

In this weeks FanNation mock draft, Hondo S. Carpenter of All Raiders selected Christian Gonzalez for Vegas. However, this came after other considerations.

"The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and with their quarterbacks taken ahead of Gonzalez and two defensive linemen gone, the Raiders get a break and get a true shut-down corner, an elite talent who, while not a certain "dude," is as close to one as you can get.

Suppose one of the two defensive linemen isn't gone. There had been talk the Raiders had taken Carter off their draft board but this was denied by coach Josh McDaniels.

So it would seem the Raiders are another possibility.

5. Atlanta Falcons at No. 8

Atlanta is focused on defensive improvement, as well. A cornerback makes sense for them but Daniel Flick of FanNation's Falcon Report reported interest in Lukas Van Ness by GM Terry Fontenot. The Falcons signed Calais Campbell on the defensive line but their approach, Flick says, is to sign a veteran to a one-year deal and draft a player to replace him.

If it's Carter there, though?

Flick wrote: "Still, there are plenty of other options - should Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson fall, he'd be difficult for Atlanta to pass on. The same is true for Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter."

6. Philadelphia Eagles by Trade

Never trust Howie Roseman to sit on his hands. The Eagles GM has pick No. 10. They lost Javon Hargrave. Fletcher Cox is getting to the end of his career. Carter would be an ideal fit. The Eagles are sitting one spot behind the Bears and if they saw Carter falling, don't doubt for one second that Rosemen would sit by and let him wind up with the Bears. He'll be on the phone with the Raiders or even Lions or Seahawks looking to get ahead of No. 9.

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