Chicago Bears: Pick 117

With Chicago continuously screwing the pooch in draft picks this year and last, I have a better chance of making a list of who they probably shouldn't take only to be correct when they take them. Instead, here are a couple of guys still on the board who I would like to see in a Bears uniform.

Barret Jones, C, Alabama
Jones is the top-rated center on my value board and I had him as the 5th or 6th best offensive lineman. Roberto Garza isn't getting any younger so it's time to pull the trigger.

Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
How he's lasted this long amazes me but would make a great replacement for Izzy Idonize and a 3-down Defensive End.

Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia
For the jersey sales alone the Bears should sign this kid. That and he is a top talent at a spot that turns over a lot due to inconsistency and injury.

Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
Bears are still in need for depth in that secondary and Poyer is the highest rated CB on the board.

UPDATE 11:35 AM: Okafor off the board so I am going to take a risk on the red-flag character issues and say go get WR Da'Rick Rogers from Tennessee Tech.

Chicago Bears: 12 (more) Prospects at #50

With the first round gone, it's time to move on to the next 12 prospects (plus 4 from the previous article) who could be around at #50.

Top Guys

1. Arthur Brown, ILB\OLB, Kansas State *
Brown is a physical specimen who can play inside or outside linebacker. After watching 2 of 3 starters leave, Chicago is needy at the position. Brown is a guy who could step into the middle or play the strong side. A tackling machine.
Chance of being on the board: 30%.

2. Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU *
Minter is a prototype MLB who grinds it out. Known more as a sure tackler than a "knockout" hitter, Minter is the kind of player that can provide solid play between the ends. In the right system, Minter could have a long career in the NFL. I prefer Brown because of his versatility but Minter is still a top prospect. If Minter is on the board, it'll be interesting to see if he is weighed as the heir apparent for Brian Urlacher.
Chance of being on the board: 35%

3. Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
Short is very impressive with possibly the best potential at this position. In college, he held strong against run and was a disruptive presence against the pass. He saw a lot of double teams which makes people question his consistency and drive. Placed on defensive line like the Bears, Short could become a future star.
Chance of being on the board: 25%

4. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
Blessed with size and strength, Okafor has played both inside and out. He's not the blazing speed Rush End teams covet but he would make a solid, DE. In Bears parlance, I would liken Okafor to a better Izzy Idonije.
Chance of being on the board: 65%

5. David Amerson, CB, NC State
Impressive size, speed and ballhawk ability Amerson has fallen to the 2nd-round because of inconsistencies his Junior season. Amerson however is a rare commodity at Corner who, once he establishes his confidence, can excel at the NFL level.
Chance of being on the board: 75%

The Other Guys

6. Robert Woods, WR, USC
Woods is a polished route runner, physical and has good speed but will not run away from anyone. Despite Chicago looking for homerun threats, Woods could establish himself as a threat at Wide Receiver and break into the lineup if Alshon Jeffrey struggles.
Chance of being on the board: 20%

7. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State 
Hankins fits more of the form of the NT or run stuffing Defensive Tackle. Solid at the point of attack, Hankins will find a nice fit in any 3-4 or 4-3 defense just as long as he's not asked to rush the QB effectively for 4 quarters.
Chance of being on the board: 30%

8. Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
Warford I have higher rated than Long and a guy who could actually come into the mix and start right away. When you're as thin as the Bears o-line, Warford could provide a serviceable starter as a rookie and be a mainstay until he leaves or the Bears find someone better.
Chance of being on the board: 50%

9. Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi State
Slay has been in the shadows of Jonathan Banks but shows good coverage, recognition and playmaking ability. The knock on Slay is that he needs to become a more willing tackler which may be tough given the step up to the NFL and its size and speed.
Chance of being on the board: 95%

How about NO

Keenan Allen, WR, California *
The Bears are loaded with possession receivers so adding Allen makes no sense. His 40-times were slow and his injury history is enough to steer clear of the Cal product.

Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame *
The Notre Dame crowd around Chicago loves Te'o however he falls below on my value board of even Ogletree. Te'o may have a bright future in the NFL or he might fall on his face much like he did against Alabama. Regardless, the guy is surrounded by questions and not worth a 2nd-round pick with better prospects on the board.

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
Moore has the numbers to back up his value; however, he's too small and not explosive enough to warrant a 2nd-round pick. There's a better chance that his skills just do not translate at this level.

Cornellis Carradine, DE, FSU
Carradine turned in an impressive senior season after being pressed into service due to injury. He is still very raw and - near the end of the season - was injured himself. Carradine is only 5 months off an ACL injury and probably looking at a "red-shirt" rookie season. He's a good prospect if you can bury him on the IR for a year.

Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
Hunt is a physical freak that could boom or bust. Some scouts even relate him to Bears DE Corey Wootton. I can't see the Bears drafting a Wootton-clone despite his upside.

Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
A tall, skinny, straight-line runner but unpolished and raw. Hunter is more of a project with great athleticism and tremendous upside. However, the Bears - with only 5 picks - cannot waste their 1st and 2nd round picks on offensive "projects".

Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
Despite being high on value, Ryan does not translate well to the NFL. He often struggles with physical receivers and though he possesses decent measurables, there is question if he can make it at the next level

* Means noted in the first article on the 20th pick.

Phil Emery "Angelo's" Another 1st Round Pick

In Phil Emery's inaugural draft I was highly critical of taking Shea McClellin with the 19th overall pick. Not only was McClellin rated as a tweener (OLB\Rush DE) and suited for a 3-4 defense, he was rated 53rd on my big board. Many top prospects still remained in several positions that could have bolstered the Bears but Emery stubbornly forged ahead despite Bruce Irvin (the OLB\DE he coveted was taken at the 15 position and rated even further back on my value board) decided to continue to pinpoint DE. Given the state of the Bears offense (namely OL and WR), Emery could have gone in several directions but remained stubborn.

This year was no different. Emery finally decided that o-line was the top priority this draft only to watch all the top talent including the best Tackles and Guards go off the board in the first 15 picks. Chicago tried to trade back for more picks but it was a buyers market so they forged ahead. With guys on the board like 2 and 2A Cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Desmond Trufant, DT Sharrif Floyd and a wealth of top-rated Linebackers ... Emery opted to take the 8th or 9th best offensive lineman who's started a whopping 4 games in college. Long rated 54th on my value board (at least he's consistent) and rated at best a mid-2nd to 3rd-round pick by most experts.

The 1st-round, for intelligent drafting organizations, is a place where you find athletes who can make an immediate impact on your team. Not only is Kyle Long going to be a 25-yo rookie with little playing experience, a history of substance abuse, AND an underachiever; he provides no immediate improvement to the Bears o-line!

Phil Emery tried to bolster his choice saying that “We see a player who is going to contribute right away” already penciling Long in at Left Guard. Emery went on to say that "Kyle was the player that we targeted,” the general manager said. “We targeted him for the last couple of weeks. He had to be gone for us to move back. We were not going to move off that spot if Kyle Long was still there.”

If that is true, than Emery and the entire scouting department should be fired. When you have a top-20 pick and you are targeting an unproven, 25-yo Guard\Tackle tweener instead of finding the best player on the board when you have deep holes needed filled ... that's the recipe for being mediocre for years to come. Take into account that Emery's words completely and utterly contradict what was being said by not only Kyle Long but Marc Trestman.

“It’s been clear from the beginning in conversations with (Trestman) that I’m a very raw player,” Long said. “And they’re on the same page as me in that I think my best ball is ahead of me.”

Does that sound like a guy who the head coach is going to place at starting Left Guard in four months time?

Noted publisher of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush was left in shock with the results of the day. “I believe we heard Emery quoted several times in the last couple of weeks (saying) that there’s a couple of guys that we love – that we know what we’re going to do when we get there," said Arkus on 670 The Score. "If this was it, wow. I’m a little taken back by this one. I was bummed with Shea McClellin last year. This (pick) makes that look like they (got) Barry Sanders with Shea McClellin. I don’t get this pick. It’s disappointing”

Emery once again showed his inability to work the first round of the draft or be flexible in his approach. The same lack of production in early rounds cost the last GM his job. In the do-or-die, win-it-now world of the NFL, once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern. Phil Emery, your tenure is now on the clock.

Maryland Sorority Girl Reacts to Bear's Draft

For those of you that have your heads stuck under rocks, which apparently is the majority of this organization, we have been FUCKING UP in terms of scouting and interviewing college prospects. I've been getting texts on texts about people LITERALLY being so fucking AWKWARD and so fucking CLUELESS. If you're reading this right now and saying to yourself "But oh em gee Julia, I've been having so much fun with my coworkers this week!", then punch yourself in the face right now so that I don't have to fucking find you at Halas Hall to do it myself.

I do not give a flying fuck, and fans do not give a flying fuck, about how much you fucking love to talk to other scouts. You have 361 days out of the fucking year to talk to them, and this week is NOT, I fucking repeat NOT ONE OF THEM. This week is about building an organization through the draft, and that's not fucking possible if you're going to stand around and talk to each other and not scout our prospects. Newsflash you stupid cocks: FANS DON'T LIKE BORING DRAFT PICKS. Oh wait, DOUBLE FUCKING NEWSFLASH: FANS ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO WATCH US IF WE FUCKING SUCK, which by the way in case you're an idiot and need it spelled out for you, WE FUCKING SUCK SO FAR.

"But Julia!", you say in a whiny little bitch voice to your computer screen as you read this email, "I've been really happy with our draft picks, doesn't that count for something?" NO YOU STUPID FUCKING ASS HATS, IT FUCKING DOESN'T. DO YOU WANNA KNOW FUCKING WHY?!! IT DOESN'T COUNT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN FUCKING UP AT COMBINE FUCKING EVENTS TOO. I've not only gotten texts about people being fucking STUPID at the combine (for example, being stupid shits and saying stuff like "durr what's a ‘tweener?" or "durr we need to spend more time with Mike Glennon" is not fucking funny), but I've gotten texts about people actually cheering for the opposing teams on draft day. The opposing. Fucking. Team. ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!! I don't give a SHIT about sportsmanship, YOU CHEER FOR OUR GODDAMN TEAM AND NOT THE OTHER ONE, HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO A DRAFT? ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND? Or are you just so fucking dense about what it means to make people like you that you think being a good little supporter of the draft is going to make our fans happy? Well it's time someone told you, NO ONE FUCKING LIKES THAT, ESPECIALLY OUR FUCKING FANS. I will fucking cunt punt the next person I hear about doing something like that, and I don't give a fuck if you TRADE ME TO THE RAIDERS, I WILL FUCKING ASSAULT YOU.

"Ohhh, I'm now crying because your email has made me oh so so sad". Well good. If this email applies to you in any way, meaning if you are a little asswipe that stands in the corners in the war room or if you're a stupid shit that thinks J’Marcus Webb is a real football player, this following message is for you:

DO NOT GO TO TONIGHT'S DRAFT.

I'm not fucking kidding. Don't go. Seriously, if you have done ANYTHING I've mentioned in this email and have some rare disease where you're unable to NOT do these things, then you are HORRIBLE, I repeat, HORRIBLE PR FOR THIS ORGANIZATION. I would rather have 4 scouts that are fun, talk to prospects, and not fucking retarded than 80 that are fucking faggots. With that in mind don't fucking show up unless you're going to stop being a goddamn cock block for our organization. Seriously. I swear to fucking God if I see anyone being a goddamn Jerry Angelo at tonight's event, I will tell you to leave even if you're Phil Emery. I'm not even kidding. Try me.

And for those of you who are offended at this email, I would apologize but I really don't give a fuck. Go fuck yourself. BEARDOWN YOU COCK-WALLETS!

Looking Back: 2010 Chicago Bears Draft

Most experts tell you that it takes 3 years to evaluate a draft. Normally, a Jerry Angelo draft it takes 30 seconds followed by copious amounts of alcohol to forget that he actually existed ... this is not one of those drafts:

Rnd    Pick    Name               Pos    School
3        75      Major Wright     DB    Florida      
4        109    Corey Wootton  DE    Northwestern      
5        141    Joshua Moore    DB    Kansas St.      
6        181    Dan LeFevour    QB    Central Michigan      
7        218    J'Marcus Webb  OT    West Texas A&M    

First overall and 3rd-round pick Major Wright struggled his first two seasons as a Bear often being called "Major Wrong" for his propensity to be out of position and liability in coverage; part of this can be attributed to the Bears continuously trying to take square-peg, Strong Safeties like Wright and force them into the gaping hole at Free Safety. But, as last year shows, Wright has solidified himself in the Bears secondary and began shoring up his deficiencies in the pass game. Wright still doesn't wrap the way I'd like to see ANY NFL defender do when making a tackle, but he's come a long way since those first two seasons.

Second overall and 4th-round pick Corey Wootton will be forever beloved in the NFL for knocking the complete shiat out of Brett Fav-ruh. Wootton has shown flashes as a rush end but now he is penciled in as the starting DE with the loss of Izzy Idonije to free agency. Wootton has tremendous upside but his ability to hold up against the run on a consistent basis is still a question mark.

Final pick J'Marcus Webb was a raw prospect taken in the 7th-round who had the size and athleticism to be a Left Tackle, someday. Unfortunately for Webb - and Jay Cutler - he was pressed into action as years of ignoring the O-line in drafts resulted in a mish-mash of poorly skilled blockers. Webb has had 3 maddening seasons with Chicago bouncing from Right to Left tackle while all the while consistently grading out just above Chris Williams and "Turnstyle at Gate B". With that being said, the Bears have gotten far more mileage from this 7th-round pick than any other in recent history with the exception of Mike Green.

Joshua Moore and Dan LeFevour both lasted a couple of seasons in the NFL but neither are in the league at this time. One of the issues - value versus need - was that LeFevour was chosen when you already had a still-new franchise QB that you paid for dearly. Taking him in the 6th round was a very good value pick that I agreed with; however, that doesn't necessarily mean it was a good pick. Chicago was in a "win it now" mentality and using one of your five picks on a project QB seemed like a waste of a pick especially when you they had a need at every offensive skill position.

With what he had to work with, this was actually one of Jerry Angelo's better drafts. You can scratch your head at the taking of a QB in the 6th round but 3 out of the 5 players taken have played their way into prominence (or infamy in the case of Webb). A rare B-grade for JA ... It still didn't save his job but we've seen the recaps of his other drafts.

2013 Draft Big Board

1	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
2	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
3	DeMarcus Milliner	CB	Alabama
4	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida
5	Dion Jordan	OLB	Oregon
6	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
7	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
8	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
9	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
10	Barkevious Mingo	OLB	LSU
11	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
12	Jarvis Jones	OLB	Georgia
13	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina
14	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
15	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
16	Kenny Vaccaro	FS	Texas
17	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
18	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
19	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
20	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame
21	Keenan Allen	WR	California
22	Damontre Moore	DE	Texas A&M
23	D.J. Fluker	OT	Alabama
24	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington
25	Arthur Brown	OLB	Kansas State
26	Alec Ogletree	OLB	Georgia
27	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA
28	Sylvester Williams	DT	North Carolina
29	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State
30	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
31	Kevin Minter	ILB	LSU
32	Manti Te'o	ILB	Notre Dame
33	Eddie Lacy	RB	Alabama
34	Matt Elam	SS	Florida
35	Cornellius Carradine	DE	Florida State
36	Jonathan Cyprien	SS	Florida International
37	Matt Barkley	QB	USC
38	Larry Warford	OG	Kentucky
39	Kawann Short	DT	Purdue
40	Alex Okafor	DE	Texas
41	Jesse Williams	DT	Alabama
42	Johnthan Banks	CB	Mississippi State
43	Robert Woods	WR	USC
44	Margus Hunt	DE	SMU
45	Justin Hunter	WR	Tennessee
46	Zach Ertz	TE	Stanford
47	Barrett Jones	C	Alabama
48	Khaseem Greene	OLB	Rutgers
49	Giovani Bernard	RB	North Carolina
50	Jamar Taylor	CB	Boise State
51	Quinton Patton	WR	Louisiana Tech
52	Eric Reid	FS	LSU
53	John Jenkins	DT	Georgia
54	Kyle Long	OT	Oregon
55	Mike Glennon	QB	North Carolina State
56	David Amerson	CB	North Carolina State
57	Tyler Wilson	QB	Arkansas
58	Logan Ryan	CB	Rutgers
59	Johnathan Franklin	RB	UCLA
60	Terrance Williams	WR	Baylor
61	Darius Slay	CB	Mississippi State
62	E.J. Manuel	QB	Florida State
63	Corey Lemonier	OLB	Auburn
64	Da'Rick Rogers	WR	Tennessee Tech
65	Jordan Poyer	CB	Oregon State
66	Ryan Nassib	QB	Syracuse
67	Markus Wheaton	WR	Oregon State
68	Montee Ball	RB	Wisconsin
69	Brandon Williams	DT	Missouri Southern State
70	Travis Kelce	TE	Cincinnati
71	Joseph Randle	RB	Oklahoma State
72	Blidi Wreh-Wilson	CB	Connecticut
73	Sio Moore	OLB	Connecticut
74	Stedman Bailey	WR	West Virginia
75	Bacarri Rambo	FS	Georgia
76	Phillip Thomas	FS	Fresno State
77	Menelik Watson	OT	Florida State
78	Justin Pugh	OT	Syracuse
79	Sam Montgomery	DE	LSU
80	Jamie Collins	OLB	Southern Mississippi
81	Terron Armstead	OT	Arkansas Pine-Bluff
82	D.J. Swearinger	FS	South Carolina
83	Gavin Escobar	TE	San Diego State
84	Aaron Dobson	WR	Marshall
85	Andre Ellington	RB	Clemson
86	Robert Alford	CB	Southeastern Louisiana
87	Kiko Alonso	ILB	Oregon
88	Dallas Thomas	OT	Tennessee
89	Vance McDonald	TE	Rice
90	Brennan Williams	OT	North Carolina
91	William Gholston	DE	Michigan State
92	Brian Schwenke	C	California
93	Le'Veon Bell	RB	Michigan State
94	Oday Aboushi	OG	Virginia
95	T.J. McDonald	FS	USC
96	Brandon Jenkins	DE	Florida State
97	Sean Porter	OLB	Texas A&M
98	JJ Wilcox	SS	Georgia Southern
99	Travis Frederick	C	Wisconsin
100	Tyler Bray	QB	Tennessee
101	Shamarko Thomas	SS	Syracuse
102	D.J. Hayden	CB	Houston
103	Stepfan Taylor	RB	Stanford
104	Chase Thomas	OLB	Stanford
105	Tyrann Mathieu	CB	LSU
106	B.W. Webb	CB	William & Mary
107	Jordan Mills	OT	Louisiana Tech
108	Will Davis	CB	Utah State
109	Jon Bostic	ILB	Florida
110	John Simon	DE	Ohio State
111	Bennie Logan	DT	LSU
112	Jelani Jenkins	OLB	Florida
113	Ryan Swope	WR	Texas A&M
114	David Quessenberry	OT	San Jose State
115	Gerald Hodges	OLB	Penn State
116	Zac Dysert	QB	Miami (Ohio)
117	Leon McFadden	CB	San Diego State
118	Chris Faulk	OT	LSU
119	Kevin Reddick	ILB	North Carolina
120	Dion Sims	TE	Michigan State
121	Mike Gillislee	RB	Florida
122	Cornelius Washington	DE	Georgia
123	Jawan Jamison	RB	Rutgers
124	Landry Jones	QB	Oklahoma
125	Nick Kasa	TE	Colorado
126	Marquise Goodwin	WR	Texas
127	Reid Fragel	OT	Ohio State
128	Kenny Stills	WR	Oklahoma
129	Ricky Wagner	OT	Wisconsin
130	Tharold Simon	CB	LSU
131	Chris Harper	WR	Kansas State
132	Tony Jefferson	FS	Oklahoma
133	Ryan Otten	TE	San Jose State
134	Khaled Holmes	C	USC
135	Robert Lester	SS	Alabama
136	Marquess Wilson	WR	Washington State
137	Micah Hyde	CB	Iowa
138	Joseph Fauria	TE	UCLA
139	Dennis Johnson	RB	Arkansas
140	Alex Hurst	OT	LSU
141	Brian Winters	OG	Kent State
142	Dwayne Gratz	CB	Connecticut
143	Jordan Reed	TE	Florida
144	Alvin Bailey	OG	Arkansas
145	Marcus Lattimore	RB	South Carolina
146	Nico Johnson	ILB	Alabama
147	Malliciah Goodman	DE	Clemson
148	Akeem Spence	DT	Illinois
149	Lavar Edwards	DE	LSU
150	Duke Williams	SS	Nevada
151	Matt Scott	QB	Arizona
152	Jordan Hill	DT	Penn State
153	Christine Michael	RB	Texas A&M
154	Zaviar Gooden	OLB	Missouri
155	DeVonte Holloman	OLB	South Carolina
156	Cobi Hamilton	WR	Arkansas
157	A.J. Klein	ILB	Iowa State
158	Shawn Williams	SS	Georgia
159	Joe Kruger	DE	Utah
160	Kenjon Barner	RB	Oregon
161	Everett Dawkins	DT	Florida State
162	Xavier Nixon	OT	Florida
163	Devin Taylor	DE	South Carolina
164	Lerentee McCray	OLB	Florida
165	Kwame Geathers	DT	Georgia
166	Tavarres King	WR	Georgia
167	Josh Boyce	WR	TCU
168	Michael Buchanan	DE	Illinois
169	Montori Hughes	DT	Tennessee-Martin
170	Terry Hawthorne	CB	Illinois
171	T.J. Barnes	DT	Georgia Tech
172	Ace Sanders	WR	South Carolina
173	Aaron Mellette	WR	Elon
174	Zac Stacy	RB	Vanderbilt
175	Kerwynn Williams	RB	Utah State
176	Steve Williams	CB	California
177	Nickell Robey	CB	USC
178	Mychal Rivera	TE	Tennessee
179	Mike Edwards	CB	Hawaii
180	Adrian Bushell	CB	Louisville
181	Chris Gragg	TE	Arkansas
182	Josh Boyd	DT	Mississippi State
183	Johnny Adams	CB	Michigan State
184	Levine Toilolo	TE	Stanford
185	Earl Wolff	SS	North Carolina State
186	Denard Robinson	WR	Michigan
187	Sean Renfree	QB	Duke
188	Marc Anthony	CB	California
189	Knile Davis	RB	Arkansas
190	Quanterus Smith	DE	Western Kentucky
191	Ryan Griffin	QB	Tulane
192	Steve Beauharnais	ILB	Rutgers
193	Mark Harrison	WR	Rutgers
194	Michael Williams	TE	Alabama
195	Ray Graham	RB	Pittsburgh
196	Chris Jones	DT	Bowling Green
197	Stansly Maponga	DE	TCU
198	Stefphon Jefferson	RB	Nevada
199	Jack Doyle	TE	Western Kentucky
200	Travis Long	OLB	Washington State
201	Mario Benavides	C	Louisville
202	Jake Knott	OLB	Iowa State
203	Quinton Dial	DT	Alabama
204	Travis Bond	OG	North Carolina
205	Kapron Lewis-Moore	DT	Notre Dame
206	Bruce Taylor	ILB	Virginia Tech
207	Omar Hunter	DT	Florida
208	Trevardo Williams	OLB	Connecticut
209	David Bakhtiari	OT	Colorado
210	Kyle Juszczyk	FB	Harvard
211	J.C. Tretter	OG	Cornell
212	Josh Evans	FS	Florida
213	Brandon McGee	CB	Miami (Fla.)
214	Hugh Thornton	OG	Illinois
215	Ty Powell	OLB	Harding
216	Etienne Sabino	OLB	Ohio State
217	Conner Vernon	WR	Duke
218	Jeff Locke	P	UCLA
219	Brandon Magee	OLB	Arizona State
220	Corey Fuller	WR	Virginia Tech
221	Rontez Miles	FS	California (PA)
222	Lonnie Pryor	FB	Florida State
223	Eric Martin	OLB	Nebraska
224	Michael Ford	RB	LSU
225	Earl Watford	OG	James Madison
226	Josh Johnson	CB	Purdue
227	Keith Pough	ILB	Howard
228	Braxston Cave	C	Notre Dame
229	Sanders Commings	CB	Georgia
230	Cierre Wood	RB	Notre Dame
231	Eric Herman	OG	Ohio
232	Zach Line	FB	SMU
233	John Lotulelei	OLB	UNLV
234	Rodney Smith	WR	Florida State
235	P.J. Lonergan	C	LSU
236	Cory Grissom	DT	South Florida
237	Garrett Gilkey	OT	Chadron State
238	Mike Catapano	DE	Princeton
239	Matt Furstenburg	TE	Maryland
240	Jasper Collins	WR	Mount Union
241	Tommy Bohanon	FB	Wake Forest
242	Travis Johnson	OLB	San Jose State
243	Ryan Jensen	OG	Colorado State - Pueblo
244	Quinn Sharp	P	Oklahoma State
245	Latavius Murray	RB	UCF
246	Anthony McCloud	DT	Florida State
247	Daimion Stafford	FS	Nebraska
248	Jeff Baca	OG	UCLA
249	Jason Weaver	OT	Southern Mississippi
250	Herman Lathers	OLB	Tennessee

Chicago Bears: 12 Prospects at #20

Breaking down the draft each year takes painstakingly long and even worse is trying to decide who the best fit is for your team and when they should be taken. Drafting is not a science but at best a stock market gamble or high-stakes poker game.  With players constantly rising and falling, teams that draft the best put together fluid draft plans. Or if you're Jerry Angelo, you throw feces at a board and draft what sticks.  Luckily, Phil Emery is the new man in charge and although I was not impressed by last year's draft class, I have seen a modicum of improvement. Here are 12 prospects that I zeroed in at the #20 spot and how they fit into the Bear's plans (or don't).

My Top Guys

1. Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
In my opinion, Cooper is the best on the board. Taking a Guard in the 1st round has been done before and if you're going to do it, Cooper is the man. Cooper is the kind of guy you ink in at starter for the next 8-10 years and an instant upgrade. Chance he's still on the board: 30%.

2. D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama
Fluker is a road-grating left tackle weighing a tic-tac shy of 340. Questions arise about his ability to block speed-rushing ends but Fluker is the best Right Tackle in the draft. When you look at the likes of Gabe Carimi and J'Marcus Webb, Fluker is head and shoulders above them. If Cooper is gone, Fluker deserves a solid look. Chance he's still on the board: 65%.

3. Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
Trufant is a shut-down corner with some warts but a tremendous upside. Trufant comes with a good pedigree having two brothers already in the league and his skils are undisputed. Trufant would work out great in a secondary that has really no depth after the long-toothed Peanut Tillman and the upstart Tim Jennings. Chance he's still on the board: 45%.

4. Arthur Brown, ILB\OLB, Kansas State
Brown is a physical specimen who can play inside or outside linebacker. After watching 2 of 3 starters leave, Chicago is needy at the position. Brown is a guy who could step into the middle or play the strong side. A tackling machine. Chance of being on the board: 85%.

The Other Guys

5. Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU
Minter is a prototype MLB who grinds it out. Known more as a sure tackler than a "knockout" hitter, Minter is the kind of player that can provide solid play between the ends. In the right system, Minter could have a long career in the NFL. I prefer Brown because of his versatility but Minter is still a top prospect. Minter will be on the board, it'll be interesting to see if he is weighed as the heir apparent for Brian Urlacher.

6. Cordarrelle Peterson, WR, Tennessee
Peterson possesses that blazing speed the Bears need to stretch the field and can double as a return man. The problem is that he's still very raw and lacks instinct and solid route-running. I love the 4.3 speed but am not sold that he will not be another Devin Hester.  The 1st-round seems a bit too early to take on a project WR.  There is a good chance Peterson will be off the board anyway.

7. Daytone Jones, DE, UCLA
Jones has good size for a DE and can hold up well against the run game. Inconsistencies have plagued him in his college career but that does not stop him from being one of the top prospects at his position. If the Bears are not convinced that Coorey Wooton is ready to take the next step, Jones would be a good pickup.

8. Kenny Vaccaro, FS, Texas
I like this kid out of Texas but he will probably be well off the board before the Bears draft. However, if he's still their, do the Bears take on a bonafide Free Safety, a position that has been a revolving door since Mike Brown left the team?

How About NO
Of the 12 prospects that brought value and could be available for Chicago, I red-flagged four for various reasons.

Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
Eifert is the 2nd-coming of Kellen Davis. He is a top-rated TE only because this draft does not offer much at that position. Eifert fits more of the "overgrown" WR mold than he does what you would want at the TE position.

Keenan Allen, WR, California
The Bears are loaded with possession receivers so adding Allen makes no sense. His 40-times were slow and his injury history is enough to steer clear of the Cal product.

Alec Ogletree, OLB, Georgia
Ogletree seems to be a popular pick among mock drafters for the Bears; I'm guessing because he's a converted safety and people grow nostalgic over Brian Urlacher. Ogletree is 230 pounds and may be maxed out as far as weight. He's also a raw talent having played linebacker for only two seasons; throw in substance abuse problems and that's 3 strikes.

Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
The Notre Dame crowd around Chicago loves Te'o however he falls below on my value board of even Ogletree. Te'o may have a bright future in the NFL or he might fall on his face much like he did against Alabama. Regardless, the guy is surrounded by questions and not worth a 1st-round pick.




With the 2013 draft rapidly approaching, the Bears are hopefully in high-gear evaluating this year's prospects. The team has several needs to fill but has been very active in free agency. Let's hope that Phil Emery has a plan to move forward because in order to be the elite team, it starts with solid drafts year after year.