Not Qualified To Comment » NQTC Mock Draft 23-32 and Bears

NQTC Mock Draft 23-32 and Bears

April 23, 2009 at 1:00 pm | Chicago Bears, NFL
By: StevieY19

Time to finish out the first round and take a look at what the Bears will do with their only pick of the first day, which comes in round two.

23. New England: Brian Cushing, OLB USC- The Pats took a young linebacker last year, but with their aging and departed linebackers, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take another. Especially if Cushing is on the board, since he is a mid-first round talent.

24. Atlanta: Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma St.- If Vontae Davis is on the board here, the Falcons might jump at him, but Pettigrew is the best tight end in this draft and could really thrive in that young Atlanta offense. Giving Matt Ryan another weapon isn’t a bad idea at all. **Update** Looks like the Chiefs traded for Tony Gonzalez today, so this wouldn’t make much sense. Hmm, how about Robert Ayers or Michael Johnson? Yeah, Johnson is the pick here, home-grown at GT.

25. Miami: Darius Butler, CB UConn- Butler and Davis are two of the top corners this year and while Miami would love for Davis to fall to 25, they’ll settle for Butler here. Another option for the Tuna would be an outside linebacker to get to the passer and could take NIU LB/DE Larry English or Michael Johnson as an undersized DE.

26. Baltimore: Percy Harvin, WR Florida- It’s hard to say what wide receivers will be available here, but with this little project, Harvin is the best available. As we’re late in the first round though, teams will start looking at Ohio State RB Chris Wells being on the board and it’s tempting to go for that talent here also. Not that tempting; Harvin’s the pick.

27. Indianapolis: Paria Jerry, DT Ole Miss- The Colts would also be tempted to take Wells here, but it doesn’t pain me to have a Buckeye slipping. Plus, some teams are just bad at certain things for a while and the Colts are that team when it comes to plugging up the middle. Jerry is a solid DT with tons of what they call “upside.”

28. Buffalo (via Philly): Michael Johnson, DE Georgia Tech- The Bills went to the offensive line earlier, so it’s time to address the defense. Michael Johnson was once thought to be a top five pick in this draft and is an amazing talent as a rush end. Just take him!

29. NY Giants: Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers- It looks more and more like the Giants won’t get a deal done for Braylon Edwards before the draft, so WR will be a major need in this draft. Hakeem Nicks might be the choice here instead, but I’ll go with the close to home pick with Britt. Also, if Moreno is still around, the Giants would be tempted to go with the Georgia RB as the ying to Jacobs’ yang. Or more likely, to fill in when Jacobs inevitably gets hurt.

30. Tennessee: Robert Ayers, DE Tennessee- The Titans actually have a few different needs after their successful 2008-09 season, but they won’t be able to pass on Ayers if he falls here. They could also go for a corner to compete with aging Nick Harper for a starting spot or a wide receiver here.

31. Arizona: Chris Wells, RB Ohio State- This is a gift for the Cardinals if Wells falls. The Cards couldn’t choose among their three running backs last year and Wells can come in with a chance to start right away. If he or Moreno falls to 31, the Cardinals could avoid having to make the choice about looking elsewhere or taking more of a second round type running back here.

32. Pittsburgh: Alex Mack, C Cal- Hartwig struggled at center this year and the Steelers haven’t had that problem much in the past. They could go with a tackle, or a corner to fill in for departed Bryant McFadden. Mack is a good fit though, and as close as you get to a sure thing at the center position, whatever that means. Hey, that’s the end of the first round! Let’s look at the Bears’ second round prospects.

49. Chicago: I think you look at the Bears and see a glaring need at wide receiver, then needs in the defensive backfield and any team could use some help on the offensive and defensive lines. So who might be available? As far as wide receivers go, it could be almost anyone. A lot of crap I had happening earlier in this draft probably won’t happen and guys like Kenny Britt could slip, or other guys that would be taken early second round like Hakeem Nicks could fall into the Bears lap.

But is the second round really the best place to find a prime receiver? Maybe, but the Bears will have some options when it’s time to turn in that card. They could also grab the best safety available, like a Louis Delmas or Patrick Chung. Corner wouldn’t be a terrible choice either if guys like DJ Moore would be available. Another option would be to spark some competition on that defensive line by taking a talented pass rusher like Larry English out of Northern Illinois.

The NFL Draft starts Saturday at 4:00 ET and will be on ESPN and the NFL Network. The first two rounds will be Saturday and the rest on Sunday.