Bear Down on the Draft

Rather than prove all the experts wrong with my own Mock Draft, I took the easy way out and have compiled - FOR YOU - some mock drafts from around the web!

Because that's how we roll, our emphasis will be on the Chicago Bears!

History hasn't been kind to the Men from Chicago. Since 2001, when Jerry Angelo started making selections for the Bears ... umm, the results haven't been great ... with only 3 of those guys having any kind of meaningful impact on the organization. Bears fans hope to see more Tommie Harris type talent, and less Benson/Colombo/Haynes types.

Tommie Harris, #14 in 2005

2010 - No pick due to Cutler trade

2009 - No pick due to Cutler trade

2008 - #14 Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

2007 - #31 Greg Olsen, TE, Miami

2006 - Traded out of 1st round

2005 - #4 Cedric Benson, RB, Texas

2004 - #14 Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma

2003 - #14 Michael Haynes, DE, Penn State

2002 - #29 Marc Colombo, OT, Boston College

2001 - #8 David Terrell, WR, Michigan

Here's what the Football Nostradamus' are seeing for the Monsters of the Midway with the 29th pick in Thursday's NFL Draft:

Pro Football Weekly - Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald made the pick, taking Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Chicago Tribune columnist Dan McNeil - The WSCR Chicago Host says it will be status quo at Halas Hall, with Jerry Angelo trading out of the 1st round

Derek Sherrod, OT, Misssissippi St.

ESPN Chicago - Jeff Dickerson believes the Bears go OL with Derek Sherrod of Mississippi State

Also at ESPN Chicago - Michael C. Wright thinks it will be Baylor G Danny Watkins

Sports Illustrated - CNN.com - Don Banks says the Bears will land Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

CBS Sportsline - Bears select Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Huffington Post - predicts the Bears will land Danny Watkins, OL Baylor

DraftCountdown.com - Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Corey Liuget, Illinois, DT

MockingTheDraft - Bears go defense with Illinois DT Corey Liuget

Football's Future - Chicago gets Wisconson OT Gabe Carimi

Fox Sports - Adam Caplan thinks the Bears take Baylor DT Phil Taylor

Draft King - has a different take, with the Bears grabbing Penn State OT/G Stefan Wisniewski

FF Toolbox - Bears draft Baylor OL Danny Watkins

Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi

Bleacher Report - predicts the Bears will send #29 and #62 overall to the Dolphins in order to move up to #15 in the 1st round to get OT Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin

Peter King - says the Bears will end up with Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod

Walter Football - Bears bring in OT from Mississippi State, Derek Sherrod

Mock Draft HQ - thinks the Bears go a different route, selecting Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State


WR Torrey Smith, Maryland

 Draft Empire - the Bears go offense with Maryland WR Torrey Smith

Sports-Central - Bears get OL Mike Pouncey out of Florida

KFFL - Cory J. Bonini predicts the Bears land their man, OL Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin

National Football Post - Wes Bunting thinks the Bears either trade out of the 1st round (he thinks with Oakland), or go with Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Draft King - Lou Pickney says the Bears land Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi

Draft Season - Eric Falk says Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod

Baylor OT Danny Watkins

Draft Season - Matt Falk sees the Bears taking Coloardo OT Nate Solder

Draft Season - Nik Edlund has the Bears selecting Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Draft Breakdown - Ryan Lownes thinks the Bears opt for Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Draft Breakdown - Will Spencer and Aaron Aloysius disagree with Ryan, going with Illinois DT Corey Liuget



ARE YOU A DRAFTNIK? ADD YOUR THOUGHTS - MAKE YOUR PREDICTIONS BELOW!

PACERS KEEP HITTING HIM - ROSE DOESN'T WILT

HEIR APPARENT?

ATHLETICISM

Bulls: First off, it's been said a million times this season, but DAMN! Derrick Rose is a MAN among boys. The kid – and I say that with the most affection possible – has the killer instinct, the drive to come out on top and the fearlessness of a warrior. OK, I may be exaggerating on the warrior front – but c'mon! When asked after the game by Comcast SportsNet Chicago's sideline reporter if the hard fouls were getting to be too much, Rose responded matter-of-factly, "It's only gonna get worse!" He went on to say that he's prepared for this – and this kind of punishment in the paint is what drives him to keep his body strong and continue lifting weights.

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel, clearly frustrated after a Game 2 loss to the Bulls, had some lofty praise for #1, saying he has ...

"Allen Iverson's quickness, Jason Kidd's vision, Chauncey Billups' shooting touch and Micheal Jordan's athleticism." 

VISION

TOUCH

QUICKNESS

I don't know if Rose is up to any of those levels – but he's certainly climbing the latter pretty quickly. His humility, hard work, dedication, team-play and leadership are all great – but it's his killer instinct, the "eye of the tiger" if you will – or maybe it's tiger blood – that makes him so dangerous. He doesn't get frazzled. There's no worry on his face. Just that look of "I'm gonna get you, sucka!" And there's nothing anyone in the NBA has been able to do about it this year.

Blackhawks: How about that Corey Crawford! After getting shelled in the first 3 games versus Vancouver, the Hawks offense has provided 12 goals in 2 games, and Crawford has been stellar. Crawford stopped all 36 shots he faced in Game 5, and allowed only 2 lamp-lighters in Game 4, when he had 21 saves. The Hawks will try and even the series on Sunday at the United Center. Given up for dead just a couple of days ago, it's good to see the Hawks showing some life – and pride – as they attempt to defend their Stanley Cup Championship short-handed.

White Sox: Congratulations to fans of the White Sox, as the Southside Hitmen got off the schneid – snapping a 7-game losing streak with a 9-2 win over the Rays. As much as folks wanna talk about youth and how that's the ticket to winning. It wasn't last night for the Sox, as Omar Vizquel, A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko had 2 RBI's apiece – an average age of 35 years old – with Omar on the high end at 43 and Quentin at 28. Doing it "old school."

Bears: The NFL draft is creeping upon us – maybe. What are your thoughts on the Bears draft? Should they go offensive line? Wide receiver? Defensive back? Take a peak at a recent post about the Bears 2011 Draft and what direction they might go - http://bit.ly/faXx6n

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS – WE ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY! 

Derrick Rose Named MVP !!!

For awhile there, Derrick Rose was everyone's pick for Most Valuable Player. Then the media - and some players - started to shift towards LeBron James and Dwight Howard. Cases can be made for all of them, granted, but I'm not sure anyone can move Rose from the top spot.

His numbers are ridiculous. He's a great leader. He demands respect. He schools defenders regularly. His scoring and shooting have improved by leaps and bounds. And, if that weren't enough, he's led the Bulls to 60 wins - the first time that's happened post-Jordan.

ESPN.com gave out their awards today - and #1 from the Bulls is #1 in MVP voting. Do you agree? Does Rose add MVP to his Rookie of the Year? Does LBJ repeat? Or someone else?

Vote in the poll (to the left) and then comment below!

ESPN Article: http://es.pn/fijb8D