Bears Draft Recap
After it seemed like the Bears would never make a draft choice, trading out of their only first day pick, Jerry Angelo did a solid job of filling needs with talented players.
Starting with defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert Angelo addressed the defensive line, which he called the “cornerstone of the franchise.” Gilbert weighs in at 288 pounds and at 6′5″ still manages to move remarkably well. For example:
After filling a need on the d-line, the Bears grabbed Juaquin Iglesias to fill a need at wide receiver. Iglesias is a guy that many analysts believed the Bears would target with their second round pick, so for Chicago to grab him late in the fourth round is a big win. Iglesias doesn’t have the size or the speed to be a top receiver, but should be a solid possession guy with his good hands and route running.
Then it was back to the defensive line a few picks later, taking Henry Melton who used to be a fullback at Texas before moving to defensive end. He shows the athletic ability to be a great pass rusher, but is obviously still learning the position. Melton and Gilbert should be great projects for assistant Rod Marinelli, a noted defensive line guru.
The Bears then got a steal with corner D.J. Moore out of Vanderbilt in the mid-fourth round. From there the Bears took a couple of wide receivers later in the draft, one burner and one possession guy; an outside linebacker in Marcus Freeman of Ohio State; a safety from Oregon State; and an offensive guard.
For what it’s worth, the Bears generally got draft grades from the major sports outlets in the B-range. I’d say that considering the picks they had, the Bears did at least that well and probably deserve an A when you include Cutler in the discussion. As opposed to a team like the Lions, who drafted what they considered the best player regardless of need, the Bears addressed their major needs with guys who can contribute at almost every spot they needed.
I’d probably say B+
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