Chicago Bears Draftees:
Kyle Fuller: 1st round, 14th overall, CB, Virginia Tech
Ego Ferguson: 2nd round, 51st overall, DT, LSU
Will Sutton: 3rd round, 82nd overall, DT, Arizona State
Ka’Deem Carey: 4th round, 117th overall, RB, Arizona
Brock Vereen: 4th round, 131st overall, S, Minnesota
David Fales: 6th round, 183rd overall, QB, San Jose State
Pat O’Donnell: 6th round, 191st overall, P, Miami
Charles Leno, Jr: 7th round, 246th overall, OT, Boise State
Bears Draft Grade: 8.5/10
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The Chicago Bears addressed their most glaring needs in the 2014 draft. Four of their first five picks were defensive players. After the St. Louis Rams possibly stole Aaron Donald from Chicago with the thirteenth pick, the Bears took cornerback Kyle Fuller from Virginia Tech. The speed and physical play of Fuller should make an immediate positive impact on the Bears defense. Many considered Fuller the second best cornerback in the draft after Justin Gilbert. Fuller’s versatility may allow him to start as a nickel back for the Bears this year.
In the second round, the Bears chose defensive tackle Ego Ferguson. Ferguson is a solid inside run defender, but he only spent one year as a starter at LSU. Ferguson has a high upside, but he may need some seasoning before making an immediate impact.
In the event that Ferguson is too raw to start initially, the Bears hedged their bets by taking another inside presence in defensive tackle Will Sutton. Former two time PAC-12 defensive player of the year, Sutton had great speed off the ball his junior season. However, as a senior, Sutton’s additional weight limited his effectiveness. If Sutton can keep the weight off, the Bears may have got a third round steal and help the Bears’ run defense tremendously.
In the fourth round, the Bears went offensive with another PAC-12 player of the year in Ka’Deem Carey. Carey was a productive running back in college. He is a solid runner, can block and catch out of the backfield. Character-wise, Carey did have a domestic violence charge in college that was later dropped.
The Bears went back to defense when they traded up to take safety Brock Vereen. Vereen’s play at both cornerback and safety in college fit the Bears’ stated desire for versatility. Vereen also has good NFL genes in brother and Patriots’ running back Shane Vereen.
After Vereen, the Bears drifted from their stated plan and took some flyers on players at the expense of other positions of need. In the sixth round, the Bears took David Fales at quarterback despite general manager Phil Emery’s statement nine days earlier that quarterbacks drafted after the third round do not become long-term starters. This pick seems more like a decision for competition at back-up quarterback than a search for a starting quarterback.
The Bears’ second sixth round pick was punter Pat O’Donnell. While some could question using a draft pick on a position that nearly all teams stayed away from, O’Donnell did have the distinction of bench-pressing more than the first pick of the 2014 draft Jadeveon Clowney.
The Bears spent their last pick on offensive tackle Charles Leno, Jr. Leno may lack skills and strength to play in the NFL. More interesting was Bears free agent signee and Heisman Trophy finalist, speedy quarterback Jordan Lynch from Northern Illinois. They plan to use Jordan as a running back which could provide some interesting trick plays if he can make the team.
While the end of the Bears’ draft seemed less focused on need than the first five picks, the Bears filled a lot of their defensive needs and should be a much better defense in 2014. With their electric offense, the Bears may have enough talent now on both sides of the ball to be a Super Bowl contender in 2014.
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