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Who Bears Stole and Reached for in Draft

Analysis: Some Bears picks had the respect of draftniks and others had a few people laughing.
Gene Chamberlain|
Who Bears Stole and Reached for in Draft
Who Bears Stole and Reached for in Draft

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Chicago Bears

Reaches and steals in the NFL draft are highly subjective situations.

Everyone wants to fix grades and immediately judge in this era of clickfests, but personnel departments in the league do not judge players based on one objective standard for style points.

The Bears and every other team fix draft grades on a player based on the way they fit for their particular scheme and situation. It's a Bears grade, a Lions grade, a Packers grade, a Vikings grade.

For instance, the selection of Grevon Dexter by the Bears in Round 2 at 53 drew laughter and hoots of "reach" from some. Even at Halas Hall in the press room the selection of defensive tackles Zacch Pickens and Dexter stirred up snickering references to the days of Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton.

However, the Bears are looking at both players as potential three techniques in a one-gap system and see traits specific to the tasks required from this position.

Other teams might look at both in a two-gap front and say they're useless.

The entire process of fixing predraft grades to determine if someone reached or got a steal is a convoluted mess, anyway, especially this year.

For example, some draft analysts didn't even regard Bears fifth-round cornerback Terell Smith in the top 220 players while the big boards posted by CBS and NFL.com had Smith graded better than cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who the Bears took 56th after giving up a pick to move up.

Ultimately, a wise man once said: "That's, just, like your opinion, man."

Here are the three biggest steals and three biggest reachs of this Bears draft.

Steals

1. WR Tyler Scott, Round 4, No. 133

The Cincinnati wide receiver was almost universally regarded as a third- or even second-round prospect but the Bears drafted him a few picks before the end of Round 4. Pro Football Focus had him graded closest to where he went at 85th, or near the end of Round 3. NFL.com had him at 48 and CBS Sports at 51. One nasty habit PFF pointed out may have explained the reason teams didn't think as much of the speedy slot receiver as the pundits and analysts. Scott dropped 11.3% of throws aimed at him last year.

2. CB Terell Smith, Round 5, No. 165

For the Bears to get Smith then looks like a steal if you're NFL.com, NFL Draft Bible or CBS Sports. All had him graded as second- or third-round material. But some didn't even have him in the top 200 so it balances out some. There's reaching and stealing. Smith has a long reach, decent speed and plays man-to-man well so getting him in Round 5 seems like a bargain whatever way you look at it.

3. RB Roschon Johnson, Round 4, No. 115

Virtually no one had the Texas backup running back going late in the daft, although NFL.com had him at No. 211. Every other website had him going in late Round 3 or early Round 4 before the Bears got him at 115. A versatile all-around threat, he runs both with power and efficiency while also pass blocking and catching passes. Johnson is exactly the type of back you bring in to fit into a stable being used in backfield-by-committee because in college he was used to not getting a lot of carries with Bijan Robinson as his teammate, and he's the kind who maximizes his chances.

Reaches

1. DT Gervon Dexter, Round 2, No. 53

The big knock on Dexter seemed to be a lack of quickness off the ball for a three technique. At 6-foot-5 3/4, 310 pounds, his combine 40 time jumped out at you with a blazing 4.88 seconds. But his 10-yard split was a snail's pace at 1.81, and people who watched his games a lot said he seemed stuck on the line at the snap. Some of this has been blamed on a scheme asking him to read first, and it's been suggested he'll benefit attacking in the "B" gap as a three techinique. Regardless, almost no one had him going anywhere near No. 53. The closest anyone came on major sites was CBS at 69th, or several picks into Round 3. NFL.com put him in Round 5 and Pro Football Focus an the middle of Round 4 at No. 117. Mel Kiper had him 93rd, in the last few picks for Round 3. 

2. DT Zacch Pickens, Round 3, No. 64

The first pick of Round 3 won't surprise anyone if he emerges as one of their best picks because he's built powerful and is explosive, the type of player who can succeed as a three technique. But no one had him going that high. NFL.com came closest at 74, and CBS said 78. Kiper put him at 93 and PFF at 110 in Round 4. It's really production that keeps him from being up higher. He didn't make a lot of sacks (11 1/4) in four years and 11 1/2 tackles for loss doesn't say much for him at all. One constant criticism scouting sites had of him was the need to improve his technique. Coaches will have plenty to do.

3. T Darnell Wright, Round 1, No. 10

There are reaches and then there are reaches. This selection can't be criticized much but he gets rated as second biggest reach because most major sites had him going in the 20s and the Bears picked him 10th, and also because no one had him rated ahead of where he was selected. At least he is a Round 1 pick, and the Bears took him in the first round, a good player at a position of great need. NFL Draft Bible had him rated 15th but NFL.com (28th), Pro Football Focus (22nd), Mel Kiper (24th) and CBS (26th) all said later in the Round.

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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.

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