What's your NFL Draft Big Board (For the Bears) ?

Larsonite said:

I thought Dupree looked like a 2nd round player and there is no way I would draft a project in the top 10. Dupree is a guy who doesn't have football instincts but is an incredible athlete. You may be right about getting coached up at one position but that didn't happen at Kentucky and I really wonder why? Will that same reason cause him to struggle at the NFL level? Non of us fans know why he didn't hold a more specific position and it's hard for me to think this was a good thing. I think the coaches saw that he doesn't have the instincts but still tried to get the most out of him.

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Its been said, and there is info out there on the subject. He was far and away their best Defensive player so they moved him around and expanded his role. He wasn't allowed to rush the QB every down like the Beasley's and Rays of the world. For better or worse, that's how they chose to use him.

Like everyone else has said - Leonard Williams is a no-brainer, consensus best defensive player in the draft. He should be gone well before we pick though. Thus...

1. Dante Fowler
2. Amari Cooper - Is Elite. Simply has too much talent to pass on regardless of who we have at WR.
3. Danny Shelton
4. Shane Ray - OLB
5. Randy Gregory - I think Fangio could help him reach his ceiling
6. Vic Beasley - OLB
7. Bud Dupree - OLB

Honestly 3-7 are so close I could close my eyes and be content with whoever we choose.

vabearsfan15 said:

Like everyone else has said - Leonard Williams is a no-brainer, consensus best defensive player in the draft. He should be gone well before we pick though. Thus...

1. Dante Fowler
2. Amari Cooper - Is Elite. Simply has too much talent to pass on regardless of who we have at WR.
3. Danny Shelton
4. Shane Ray - OLB
5. Randy Gregory - I think Fangio could help him reach his ceiling
6. Vic Beasley - OLB
7. Bud Dupree - OLB

Honestly 3-7 are so close I could close my eyes and be content with whoever we choose.

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Cooper isnt the best receiver in this years class and woudnt if been in the top 5 of last years class.

1. Leonard Williams
2. Bud Dupree
3. Dante Fowler
4. Shane Ray
5. Vic Beasley
6. Danny Shelton
7. Randy Gregory

My big board is the same regardless of team, but that being said:

Williams
Winston
Gregory
Cooper
White
Fowler

RisWell said:

Cooper isnt the best receiver in this years class and woudnt if been in the top 5 of last years class.

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There is no way to do this, but I bet Cooper has the best career of any player in this draft. You can argue that White is more talented, but Cooper has every intangible you look for in a football player. He's the closest thing to a sure bet that I can recall. After watching him dominate the best defenses in college football week in and week out when everyone in the building knew he was getting the ball, I will never doubt him again.

Escobar's Army said:

There is no way to do this, but I bet Cooper has the best career of any player in this draft. You can argue that White is more talented, but Cooper has every intangible you look for in a football player. He's the closest thing to a sure bet that I can recall. After watching him dominate the best defenses in college football week in and week out when everyone in the building knew he was getting the ball, I will never doubt him again.

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EXACTLY!!! Cooper played against SEC schools who only had to do one thing...stop him from getting the ball. Alabama really didn't have too much offensive talent. Yeldon was nothing too special and Blake Sims was the QB. I am a UT (Tennessee) fan and can still remember Cooper torching Tennessee's highly rated defense at their field. The guy can't be stopped and has been consistent at producing since he was a freshman. At least with Cooper you know you are getting a pro-bowl caliber player...the other OLB all seem to be intriguing projects who have high ceilings.

vabearsfan15 said:

EXACTLY!!! Cooper played against SEC schools who only had to do one thing...stop him from getting the ball. Alabama really didn't have too much offensive talent. Yeldon was nothing too special and Blake Sims was the QB. I am a UT (Tennessee) fan and can still remember Cooper torching Tennessee's highly rated defense at their field. The guy can't be stopped and has been consistent at producing since he was a freshman. At least with Cooper you know you are getting a pro-bowl caliber player...the other OLB all seem to be intriguing projects who have high ceilings.

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I agree with you guys on Cooper. You also hit the nail on the head about the OLB/DE in this draft. I'm a fan of Fowler, Ray & Beasely. IMO, Gregory and Dupree have far more work ahead of them in the NFL than the other three. Gregory needs to add significant weight and strength and needs to get off the ball faster, which I don't think he will. Dupree needs to master a position. NFL is full of professional football players, not professional athletes. Dupree will have to learn a ton of technique, far more than the others.

Fowler seems like the perfect combination of DE and OLB. IMO he can excel at either position. Ray is not an OLB but a true 43 RDE. He'll need to work on getting off blocks in the run game but his pass rush will dominate in the NFL. I also think his strength is really underrated. Beasely is a perfect 34 OLB. He looked light to me when I first started watching him but than I saw him start to counter his speed rush with a bull rush and he's got it down. He really sets up tackles with his game and that is a credit not only to his ability but his knowledge. I think you can't go wrong with either three guys as long as it fits the scheme. Don't make Ray an OLB or Beasley a DE. IMO, Gregory will be an average NFL starter. He just doesn't have the first step and I don't think his speed is enough to over come that. Dupree will struggle unless he goes to a team like the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks, basically a team with a great defensive mind, and he needs to play in a 34. I think he'll struggle to play on the line.

I would be fine with Cooper, assuming the organization wants to go that route.

I can see him having a Torry Holt-like career.

1: Leonard Williams
2: Dante Fowler Jr.
3: Shane Ray
4: Vic Beasley
5: Trae Waynes
6: Danny Shelton

Escobar's Army said:

My big board is the same regardless of team, but that being said:

Williams
Winston
Gregory
Cooper
White
Fowler

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I guess my only point was is there are certain circumstances where you don't draft BPA, so that's why I said Bears draft board.

We need to draft a Kyle!

1. Fowler
2. Shelton
3. Waynes (what a CB duo we would have for a long time)
4. Gregory
5. Beasley
Surprise guy: OT Erick Flowers
Guy I'm hoping we don't touch: Shane Ray

The ideal situation for the Bears would be if Mariotta is there when they draft and they can trade the pick to Philly. If Philly wouldn't make the deal good enough, then I'd roll the dice and draft Mariotta anyway and try like hell to trade Cutler for a pair of high round picks.

Walter football says the Bears interviewed/interested in Bernardrick McKinney and attended the pro day for Deshazor Everett.