In the second round the Bears traded up after Marvin Austin was taken to draft defensive tackle Stephen Paea from Oregon State. He was a staple in the OSU’s defense. He was slated to go in the first round but due to a minor knee injury he dropped. From what I’ve read and heard it’s nothing serious and the upside of Stephen is the reason why the Bears traded up to grab him. He also has extreme upper body strength. He displayed that at the combine by doing 49 bench reps and setting a NFL Combine record. I don’t think he will be starting a lot in his rookie year due that his knee still needs to recovery for a bit, but I do expect him to make an immediate impact when does start.

In the third round the Bears grabbed safety Chris Conte from California. I initially was a bit dumbfounded with this selection but I had read a number of times that it was a reach to get him in the third round. He was slated to go in the 7th or go as an undrafted free agent. After a good nights rest and watching videos of him at the combine changed my mind. It looks like he’s a very athletic safety and could very well be starting one day for the Bears, or at least be second on the depth chart. The only downfall is that he only started one season. I’m really hoping that the football season starts soon so the coaches and veterans can teach him and mentor him on how to play in the NFL.

Since the Bears traded up in the second round, they didn’t have a fourth round draft pick. So in the fifth round, Jerry Angelo stunned us all by selecting a QB. The Bears selected quarterback Nathan Enderle from Idaho. From what I’ve read and seen he’s a good third string development quarterback for the Bears. He put up some good numbers at Idaho, which could be one of the reasons why they selected him. I have nothing against the guy, but since the bears have a franchise QB and a proven back up in Caleb Hanie. I would of loved to see them draft another offensive linemen in the fifth. One of my initial mock drafts had Marcus Cannon in it and I was hoping they would take him or Justin Boren. Once again I don’t dislike the guy or think he’s a bad player, I just would of preferred a different pick.

With the final pick of the Bears draft, they selected Linebacker J.T. Thomas from West Virginia University. I think this could be a steal. He instantly adds depth to the linebacker core and could very well start on special teams right away. I really like this pick. I was expecting the Bears to grab another offensive linemen, but they grabbed Thomas instead. He’s a great player and could very well be a star for the Bears in the future. One thing the Bears do know is their linebackers. They always seem to have the best depth in the league.

Overall I give this draft a B-/+. What do you think the draft grade for the Bears this year is?

GammaBears

So with the 2010 season over, in comes the NFL Draft. After Jay Cutler was decimated by defenders due to a poor offensive line, I truly believe the only way to come out a victor in this draft is through big pro style offensive linemen. I think one of the key components missing from the Bears this year was a capable offensive line.Cutler was sacked a career high 52 times in the regular season. That was the most in the league as well. So with their first pick of the draft, the Bears will select an offensive lineman.

By the way, here’s a statement from the NFL for the Scheduling of the NFL Draft this year. “The NFL Draft returns to primetime in 2011, with the first round taking place Thurs., April 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the second and third rounds on Fri., April 29 at 6 p.m. ET. Rounds 4-7 will be held Sat., April 30 at 10 a.m. ET. Watch the entire draft live on NFL Network.”

First Round Draft Pick

Gabe Carimi

• Tackle Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin Badgers)
  • 6-7 315lbs
  • Athletic pass blocker
  • Solid run blocker
  • A lot of upper body strength
  • Awards
    • Outland Trophy (2010)
    • Consensus All-American (2010)
    • Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (2010)
    • Consensus All-Big Ten (2010)

Other first round draft pick possibilities are Nate Solder, DeMarcus Love and Mike Pouncey. Either of them would be great choices. Pouncey would of been an easy choice if the Bears needed a guard rather than a tackle. If the Bears do pick Pouncey though, I wouldn’t be upset.
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Drake Nevis

• Defensive Tackle Drake Nevis (LSU)
  • 6-2 285lbs
  • Great initial burst off the ball
  • Classic 3-technique
  • Good tackling skills
  • Awards
    • First Team All-America Honors CBS Sports (2010)
    • Second-Team AP, Walter Camp, and Rivals.com All-America Honors (2010)
    • SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week x4 (2010)
  • Stats
    • Tackles: 140
    • Sacks: 10
    • Interceptions: 1
    • Forced Fumbles: 3
    • Source: ESPN – Drake Nevis

Since the Bears no longer have Tommie Harris, they need someone to replace him. Drake Nevis is just that guy, but I wouldn’t expect him to start day one. The Bears do have plenty of depth at the DT position and I’m assuming there will be a rotation during the game.  Drake has the initial burst and strength to get through blockers and can be used as a pass rusher and run stuffer.

Kristofer O’Dowd is in the red

• Center Kristofer O’Dowd (USC Trojans)
  • 6-5 303lbs
  • Played 4 seasons at the center position
  • Great mobility
  • Able to take on top tier pass rushers
  • Awards
    • 2008 College Football News Second Team Sophomore All-American
    • 2008 First Team All-Pac 10
    • 2008 USC Offensive Lineman of the year

It’s time to find a successor for Olin Kreutz this year. I would be very happy if they were able to do that with Kristofer O’Dowd. He’s a solid Center has been for the Trojans for four years. It takes a lot of talent and skill to start as a center in college while being a freshman. The only thing to watch out for is an injury. He had some during the 2009 season. A shoulder injury and a slight knee injury. Nothing to be worried too much about in my opinion.

LB Casey Matthews

• Linebacker Casey Matthews (Oregon Ducks)
  • 6-1 232lbs
  • 2+ year starter
  • Intellegent linebacker, can read and react to plays
  • Excellent sideline to sideline speed and agility
  • Rarely misses tackles
  • Stats
    • Tackles: 229
    • Sacks: 9
    • Interceptions: 4
      • Source: ESPN – Casey Matthews

I originally had wide receiver Austin Pettis as the fourth round draft pick, but it got me thinking. I think people want the Bears to draft receivers out of want instead of necessity.  Right now the Bears have capable wide receivers but just need some more time to develop. Someone needs to teach Knox how to go for the ball and proper rout running. Same goes with Devin Hester. You also have to look at the WR coach for some of the downfalls of the Bears wideouts as well.  Anyway, back onto why I chose a linebacker here. I think it’s time to chose a replacement for whenever Brian Urlacher does indeed retire. I know it won’t be for the next two years at least, but this will give Casey plenty of time to learn from one of the best in the game. I know Casey played in a 3-4 system in Oregon, but he’s certainly capable of playing in a 4-3. I know someone of you will definitely rag on me for this pick, but I think it’s a solid one.

Free Safety Jermale Hines

• Free Safety Jermale Hines (Ohio State)
  • 6-1 217lbs
  • 28 Career starts
  • Hard hitting safety
  • Great in coverage and run support, a lot of pass break ups/deflections
  • Has agility and speed to keep up with out routes, tight ends and slot receivers
  • Awards
    • 2010 First Team All Big-Ten
    • 2010 Jim Thorpe preseason watch list
  • Stats
    • Tackles: 159
    • Sacks: 2
    • Interceptions: 3 (1 Touchdown)
    • Source: ESPN – Jermale Hines Stats

I expect the Bears to cut Josh Bullocks this offseason for obvious reasons, no offense Josh. The Bears need depth at the Free Safety position and Jermale can do that. The Bears have looked at free safety Will Hill from Florida at the combine, who isn’t a bad choice either. I would rather them draft Hines, but that’s just my opinion.

Offensive Guard Justin Boren

• Offensive Guard Justin Boren (Michigan and Ohio State)
  • 6-3 320lbs
  • Excellent awareness
  • Great run support
  • Physical and nasty blocker
  • Able to knock the defender down a lot
  • Awards
    • 2007 All-Big Ten honorable mention
    • 2009 All Big Ten first-team (media) and second-team (coaches)
    • 2010 All Big Ten first team (media) and second-team (coaches)
    • 2010 College Football All-America Team (2nd team – AP, CBS, Rivals & Scout)
    • Source: Wikipedia – Justin Boren
  • Bowl Game Appearences
    • 2008 Capital One Bowl
    • 2010 Rose Bowl
    • 2011 Sugar Bowl

The Bears need depth at the offensive line and Justin Boren can just do that. This could be the steal of the draft in my opinion. He’s had a ton of experience at the collegiate level by playing for both Michigan and Ohio State. He could even be starting in a year or two for all we know. He’s definitely capable. Did I forget to mention that he’s a physical offensive lineman? Something the Bears have been lacking in my opinion.

All this being the case, here is the second reason the Bears need Torry Holt, and the less apparent one. With Holt, the Bears could then utilize ALL of their draft picks for the defensive side of the ball potentially. This could be a huge boost for the defense, the same defense that frustratingly gave up late scores that lost games like the Tampa, Atlanta, and Carolina games. A defense that was a mere shell of the defense that dominated the NFC North for the past several years.

Defensive draft picks have less of a learning curve overall, thus they generally can make an impact more immediately than offensive draft picks. Yet another reason to go all D in the draft.

Don’t get me wrong, if it just so happens that a gem on offense happens to fall like a rock on draft day, the Bears don’t need to pass him up just because they have it in their heads to bolster the Defense. I also don’t mean to say that they should reach for anyone on D just because they need someone in that position. However, I do think that, generally speaking, there will be a player at our draft spot on D, that fits what we need in most rounds of the draft.

So here’s to trying to win Torry Holt, and may he upgrade more than the Offense!

-Bearsaddict

During Senior Bowl week an article was posted on Scout.com regarding “who’s hot” and “who’s not” among collect football’s top prospects. Chris Williams was listed as a player who was “hot” at the moment, and would be a good draft pick. Rumors later surfaced from other teams regarding William’s back. These rumors, however, according to reliable sources such as Jeff Dickerson, reporter for ESPN 1000 in Chicago, were supposed to cause his draft stock to drop so that teams could possibly pick him up later in the draft, and get a steal.

This along with the fact that in his college career at Vanderbilt University, Williams never missed a game or a practice due to injury. He remained at a high level, and played well in the Senior Bowl, with no noticeable discomfort.

It is a stretch to think or insinuate that the Bears knew that Williams had back problems and drafted him anyway. They take great caution and immense evaluation when drafting a player, and there were other highly touted Offensive linemen they could have drafted at the same place. Consequently a lot of them are injured now as well. Brandon Albert, Jeff Otah to name a couple. Keep in mind that the injuries happen, and it is very common for teams to try to circulate rumors about players before the draft to try get their draft stock to drop to where that team is drafting.

Williams will be ok eventually, and it won’t be the end of the world for the Bears.