Posts tagged ‘Draft’

Well that time of the year is upon us, the time when every website and affiliate even remotely linked to the NFL and college football will be coming out with mock drafts. It’s a season that is rapidly getting worse then Christmas, starting earlier every year.

Sometimes the information can be overwhelming and much of it doesn’t go beyond educated guesses, but one man to take seriously is ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. So when his first mock draft of the season hit the pages of ESPN.com I took notice.

“With the 18th pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears select Tyson Jackson, defensive end LSU.” At least that’s what Kiper thinks NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be saying in late April.

Now at first glance it looks like a pretty logical pick. With the Bears inability to get to the Quarterback being undoubtedly their biggest defensive issues it would make sense for the Bears to add a playmaker to the defensive line. Additional on Kiper’s board there weren’t any offensive linemen worthy of the 18th pick and Percy Harvin went to the Jets at pick 17.

But when looking into the scouting report on Jackson it no longer seems like such a solid pick:

Strengths: Rare size (6’4”, 295lbs) for the position… Durability with 27 consecutive starts… Outstanding run defender… Powerful hitter with good tackling in space skills for a defensive linemen… Good overall awareness and recognition skills.

Weakness: Needs to show more consistent effort on the field… can win some battles with power moves, but will never be a threat to turn the corner and rush off the edge… will always be better run-stopper than pass rusher.

Now all of that information comes off of ESPN’s scouting reports so the Bears or other teams might have a different take on him as a player. But if that is the report why in the world would the Bears be interested in Jackson? He sounds like a fine player but that description is more reminiscent of Alex Brown than the terrorizing pass rusher this team desperately needs.

Now some other options at defensive end that were listed near the Bears were Florida St.’s Everett Brown, NIU’s Larry English, and Georgia Tech’s Michael Johnson. All of those players would provide more of the speed pass rush component that Lovie has always targeted for his defense and are more likely candidate for the 18th pick.

In fact all three of those players will probably be linked to the Bears in future mock drafts along with half a dozen or so offensive players. But we can all give thanks to Mel Kiper and his hair for draft season is now officially upon us.

I provide you with my pick by pick breakdown and grade of the Bears 2008 draft. I have initially stated that I found the draft underwhelming, but that by no means makes it a bad draft. While it appears to be a draft that lacks in explosiveness, Angelo seemed to make up for that by landing a lot of quality players who should find ways to contribute.

Pick 1 (Round 1): C. Williams LT, Vanderbilt
The start of the first round really could not have worked out better for the Bears. Williams pretty much fell into their laps, and it’s an incredible blessing considering some scouts had him ranked as the #2 LT in this draft class. Williams should proved a huge boost the line by sliding in at LT and allowing a health John Tait to take over at RT. He’s got a strong track record against SEC opponents and has outstanding size and lateral movement. Ideally he fits here for many years to come
Grade: A

Pick 2 (Round 2): M. Forte RB, Tulane
The selection of Forte here has been criticized because many feel he is too similar to Benson. Both are larger backs who run with power and lack elite top end speed, but that is where the parallels seem to end. The biggest difference between the two is Forte’s ability to locate the hole. He’s a one cut runner who identifies the hole and then hits it hard. Additionally he has solid hands and is a solid blocker who can stay in on 3rd down. I really think Angelo see’s Forte as a bigger version of Thomas Jones and if Forte possess enough quickness to get around the edge (his biggest question mark) than I think this is a steal.
Grade: B

Pick 3 (Round 3): E. Bennett WR, Vanderbilt
A smart, quick route runner. He’s been compared by Mel Kiper to Hines Ward, but I wonder if that’s really a good thing. At 5’11”/209 he seems to have the necessary strength but there are concerns about his ability to get separation. His 4.48 40 seems to indicate good enough top end speed, but he seems to lack the quickness and second gear to make plays in space. That aside Bennett was one of the most productive WR in SEC history and should fit right into the slot position.
Grade: C+

Pick 4 (Round 3): M. Harrison DT, Arkansas
I am really not sure how to approach this pick. On one end Harrison is a lighting quick pass rusher, huge but not really powerful and seemingly a perfect back up and insurance policy for Tommie Harris. On the other hand ha has already had serious drug related problems with law. So I wonder if this guy is Dustin Dvoracek or Tank Johnson. If he’s Tank then it’s a waste of a 3rd round pick who’s never going to make a serious impact. If he’s Dustin then he’s a steal who can spell Harris and potentially provide long-term security at the 3-technique.
Grade: C

Pick 5 (Round 4): C. Steltz S, LSU
The Bears need at S was pretty evident all of last year and I think Steltz can come in and help address that need. He’s probably destined to be a ST standout for now, but he plays with great instincts and an extremely high motor. Most importantly, while he doesn’t have great speed he is very adept in run support and is supposed to be an excellent blitzer. Those are two qualities that were desperately missing from the position after Mike Brown went down in the opener. Who knows, we could see him paired with Danieal Manning sooner than we think.
Grade: A

Pick 6 (Round 5): Z. Bowman CB, Nebraska
In the pass happy NFL landing guys like Bowman and Trumaine McBride are esstential for keeping up on defense. Bowman is a freakish athlete at CB, great blend of size (6’0”) and speed (4.38). There is a lot to be concerned about with his history of knee injuries. Also Bowman transferred to Nebraska out of junior college so his experience against high level competition is limited. For now his athleticism should be on full display on ST, in the future he could combine with McBride, Tillman, and Vasher to make amongst the best CB groups in the NFL.
Grade: B+

Pick 7 (Round 5): K. Davis TE, Michigan State
Huge kid at 6’6”/262 and he runs pretty well for that size at 4.6. Both of those should make him an immediate redzone threat. However, despite that size Davis has yet to develop into a solid blocker and that will be an important evolution as he tries to make the roster as a 3rd TE. Davis was also flagged for character problems because of misdemeanor assault charges in ’06 and he was suspended by MSU for 4 games. In a best case scenario he’s Clark’s eventual replacement, but this pick just strikes me as more potential than actual
Grade: C+

Pick 8 (Round 7): E. Baldwin DE, Michigan State
Good rush end. He only played 2 years at MSU showing promise, had good combine, and is the Spartan single season sack record holder. He’s really a typical Bears type end who likes to get around the end and make plays in the backfield. However, holding up against the run is the issue and I don’t really know where he fits on the roster. The Bears already have 3 DE (Brown, Ogunleye, Anderson) last year’s 2nd round pick (Bazuin) and the flexibility to move Idonije to the outside. I don’t see them carrying 5 DE so if he’s going to make the team someone has to get cut, that’s why I’m down on this pick
Grade: D

Pick 9 (Round 7): C. Adams OG, Georgia
The Bears continue to show their value of big school and conference players late in the draft with Adams. The Bears desperately need depth at G so it should give Adams a decent chance of making the team. Has ideal size at 6’4”/320, but has been tagged with the dreaded “doesn’t play as big as his size suggests”. He’s about as good as you can do this late and hopefully some work at the NFL level can increase his punch and drive.
Grade: B-

Pick 10 (Round 7): J. LaRocque OLB, Oregon St
Very typical undersized OLB prospect for the Bears. Has a reputation of being instinctive and productive despite his athletic deficiencies. Really doesn’t have much of a chance to make the team except as a ST player, so his effort will be the key to his success on the next level.
Grade: C-

Pick 11 (Round 7): K. Barton OT, Ohio St
Barton defines the lunch pail mentality when it comes to offensive linemen. Scouts Inc had this to say, “Barton is very tough and experienced. He almost always finds a way to get the job done. The problem is that his athletic deficiencies are going to show up at the NFL level.” He is stiff and slow right now which probably means he’ll eventually have to move inside, but there is always room for guys who work hard.
Grade: C

Pick 12 (Round 7): M. Monk WR, Arkansas
Monk intrigues me more than any other Bears pick outside of Forte. He would’ve been a much higher pick 2 years ago, but a knee injury derailed his senior season. He sort of reminds me (at least in body size) of a Plaxico Burress, and really has decent speed. The questions will be his explosiveness coming off the injury and if he can create separation. I really think he’s going to make the team and could be a big surprise this year.
Grade: B+

The Bears again added a lot of depth and might have found some contributors in the late rounds. Williams was pretty much a consensus pick so there are no problems there. However, a lot will come down to the impact Bennett and Forte make. Both have enough warning signs that you could see them being non-factors, but if each does make a big impact at his position than this was a great draft. The biggest problem was the lack of obvious “big play” potential players picked up here, but personally I’ll be happy if Forte can just grind out about 4 yards per carry.

Overall Grade: B-