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!

Protect the Passer - Or Give Him Another Weapon?

Wisconsin T Gabe Carimi



The Chicago Bears fell in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. The Bears were 8 points from reaching their second Super Bowl in 5 years. While that sounds good on the surface, Bears fans know there are weaknesses – some that were patched during the 2^nd half of the season. The areas most will say that need improvement are Offensive Line, Wide Receiver, Cornerback – and now with the release of Tommie Harris – Defensive Tackle.



Pitt WR Jonathan Baldwin



The Bears face an interesting dilemma at the bottom of the 1^st round. They guys most draftniks think will be available that are most interesting to the Bears seem to be Wisconsin Tackle Gabe Carimi, Florida Guard Mike Pouncey, and Pitt Wideout Jonathan Baldwin. Do they start to re-build an offensive line that allowed franchise QB Jay Cutler to be sacked 52 times (56 sacks allowed in total) – or do they give Cutler a receiving weapon?

Florida G Mike Pouncey

I say you go offensive line. The receivers will get better as Cutler has more time to throw the ball. The Bears have been waiting my entire lifetime for a franchise QB. Say what you want about Jim McMahon, but his durability prevented him from being a franchise guy. The Bears have one now – and need to do whatever it takes to protect him. Games are won in the trenches. With a defensive front and linebacking corp many teams would love to have – the Bears are OK on that side for now. Protect Cutler. Protect your future.

REALGM.com writer Jason Risdon recently produced a Mock Draft for 2011. http://football.realgm.com/src_feature/392/20110302/2011_nfl_mock_draft_version_80_(post_combine)/

WHAT SHOULD THE BEARS DO? LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW ...