Projecting a team's draft picks is a fool's errand. It's impossible to know who a team will take, because I have no idea who will even be there when it is their chance to draft. Although I am trying to be realistic in who will be available for the Bears in this process, there is a chance that some of these guys are gone two, possibly even three rounds earlier than where I am projecting. And this is especially tough when projecting Bears draft picks as they do not have a first or second round pick, so I am only looking at the deepest, darkest parts of the NFL draft. And since the Bears do not have many picks, I'll also point out some guys I would like them to sign as undrafted free agents as well.
Round 3, 87th Overall: Amani Hooker, Safety, Iowa
I limited myself to one Iowa Hawkeye, but man, this is one that I feel very passionate about. I'm not sure if Hooker lasts this long, but if the Bears traded all of their picks to ensure they got Hooker, I would call this draft a massive victory.
I have already waxed poetically about the Hawkeye safety, but in short, he's a versatile defender that could play safety or as your nickel back, can defend pass and run, and just always seems to be in the right spot at the right time to make a big play. The one concern about him (and nearly all Iowa players in general) is what kind of athlete he is, but he put those concerns to rest with a very impressive combine performance.
Outside of having T-Rex arms, everything else was incredibly impressive. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, and it's crazy that he could fall this far, but judging by where he is ranked by most "experts" this is a reasonable range for him to get drafted. I might cry tears of joy if the Bears end up with him.
Round 4, 126th Overall: Austin Bryant, Defensive End, Clemson
Little known fact, Clemson actually started four defensive linemen this season. I know Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Christian Wilkins get all of the love since they are likely first round picks, but Austin Bryant was no slouch. The guy had 17 sacks with 30.5 tackles for loss in his last two years with the Tigers, and he might have had more if he didn't need to constantly race his teammates to the quarterback. You can make the argument that he benefitted from not facing double teams, but he'll have the same luxury with the Bears as Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack will be getting most of the offense's attention. If he slips this far, it would be a great addition to the Bears depth at defensive line. Also, I totally wanted to put Anthony Nelson here, but I promised myself I could only pick one Hawkeye.
Round 5, 162nd Overall: Ross Pierschbacher, Center, AlabamaSince Pierschbacher is a native Iowan,
I did a deeper dive on him here. He started all four years at Alabama, starting at left guard and taking over at center for his senior year. To start at Alabama for four years with how proficient their offenses were would make me think that he'd be a day two pick, but I have seen a lot of mocks with him more falling in the 4th-5th round range, and if that's the case, the Bears would be stupid not to pounce on him to give them a strong backup for the interior offensive line, especially with Kyle Long's injury history. i will say that I saw more impressive play from him as a guard than after he transitioned to the center position, so I see him as a good guard but maybe just an average center prospect. Common sense says he shouldn't be here for the Bears, but common sense isn't exactly what NFL teams are known for.
Round 7, 222nd Overall: Jalin Moore, Running Back, Appalachian State
Not sure if you have heard, but you can find a decent running back later on in the draft. I feel like this year, it's Josh Jacobs, and everybody else. What order guys will fall is a complete mystery. Because of an injury, I would say Moore has a better chance to fall than most, but even I can admit that this seems like a fairly aggressive drop for his talent. Plus, even with his injury, he put up 27 bench press reps at the combine. Does benching help running backs? Not at all, but it impresses other dudes in the gym, and isn't that what's most important? In real talk, he was always productive when he was on the field, but his senior year was cut short after fracturing and dislocating his ankle on a touchdown run. I will say that I'm not sure if it's the ideal fit for Nagy's offense as the most catches he had in a year was 12, but that may have been by the Appalachian State design, or he may have trouble with his hands. Worst case is he can bench press like 1000 footballs.
Round 7, 238th Overall: Terry Godwin, Wide Receiver, Georgia
I have an affinity for five-star recruits out of high school. Godwin didn't light it up in college, but he still had a productive college career with a Georgia offense that would far prefer to run than pass. Also, with his smaller stature, he was never going to be the number one guy. I think he projects as a great option in the slot as he has great quickness and has the hands to catch balls in traffic. He is great for receiver depth and could also be an option as a return man.
Undrafted Free Agent Targets
Mathieu Betts, Edge, Laval
Oh, you don't know about the football powerhouse that is Laval? Apparently, you're just not that into the pigskin, because they are ten time Vanier Cup Champions, including a perfect season this past year, led by their defensive ace, Mathieu Betts. This guy is hands down the best Canadian prospect in the draft, and although his most likely destination is practice squad, there is enough raw talent to at least invite him to camp.
Jordan Brailford, Edge, Oklahoma State
Probably the least likely guy to be available, but he definitely has the talent to be a situational pass rusher where he could help out the Bears. I've seen him projected in the 5-7th round range, but considering that he ran a 4.65 and broad jumped 10.5 feet, I could see somebody taking a chance on that athleticism early.
Taylor Cornelius, Quarterback, Oklahoma State
Out of the six quarterbacks I saw when I worked with the East-West Shrine Game, I was most impressed with Cornelius. I don't think he's going to set the world on fire, but he could be a serviceable backup in the right offense.
Keelan Doss, Wide Receiver, UC Davis
Doss played at a small school and put up big numbers. Unfortunately, he got hurt at the combine, so that will knock his draft stock down a bit. I think it's likely somebody takes him in a late round, but if he's available, it'd be a great addition for the Bears.
Matt Gay, Kicker, Utah
He's a kicker; that makes him a great addition for the Bears. He's also 232 pounds, so that's pretty cool too.
Jimmy Moreland, Cornerback, James Madison
Moreland showed flashes at the Shrine Game, but what really stood out to me is how much the coaches (and even special guest Aeneas Williams) were trying to coach him up and getting on him for mistakes. It was clear that they saw a lot of potential in him, and I don't think it's a high ceiling, but he could be a serviceable player in the slot.
Matt Nelson, Defensive Lineman, Iowa
Hey, I could only project one player to be drafted by the Bears, but I might as well have them sign one as a free agent. Nelson played out of position as a defensive tackle at Iowa, but at 6'8", 295 pounds, he's perfectly built to be a stout defender as a 3-4 defensive end. I think he can set the edge, bat down passes, and occasionally get to the quarterback, but he was not put in the best position to succeed due to team need at Iowa. He'd be a great addition to provide additional depth along the defensive line.
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