Chicago Bears: Sorting Out Their Top Draft Options
By Erik Lambert
It’s always difficult to determine which prospects are the best ones for the Chicago Bears to go after from year to year.
One of the simpler ways to do this is by separating the most notable prospects into specific categories. Namely ones that determine exactly what the Bears will be getting if that player is made their 2017 top overall selection. Which prospect has the most upside? Which one poses the most risk? Things like that. It helps to paint a picture of what this team could be looking at come next April.
Likeliest Home Run: Myles Garrett
Every draft has a select group of maybe two or three players that can be considered surefire future Pro Bowlers with only one looking destined for the Hall of Fame. That may seem a bit over the top, but that is how incredibly gifted Myles Garrett is. Everything just comes so easy to the Texas A&M pass rusher. It doesn’t matter who tries to block him or how many. He’s going to find a way into the backfield and will wreak havoc when he does. We’re talking double digits sacks every year for a decade type of talent.
Safest Bet: Jonathan Allen
This category is reserved for the player with the highest “floor.” In other words a player whom people can rest assured with at least be really good for a team and has a chance to be even better. Jonathan Allen is the most proven of the top defensive linemen in the class. He’s sharpened his teeth at Alabama. He’s got an NFL frame from top to bottom, a rugged style of play mixed with power and quickness. Chicago would be able to line him up Day 1 and he could handle the big boys.
More from NFL Mocks
- 2024 NFL Mock Draft Journal: Cardinals, Falcons tank for USC QB Caleb Williams
- Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
- Fantasy Football: 5 reasons Colts QB Anthony Richardson can be a top-end option
- Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023
- 2024 NFL Draft: Hunter Haas’ Top 50 Big Board
Biggest Risk: Mitch Trubisky
Every draft pick comes with a degree of risk. None more so than the quarterbacks. These are the players that can make a team successful for a decade or sink them for at least another five years. Mitch Trubisky is gaining support as the most complete quarterback prospect in the draft from a physical and mental standpoint. He’s got size, mobility, a strong arm and throws accurate passes. The problem is he’s only been a starter for one season. So nobody knows if they’ve seen the “real” Trubisky yet, good or bad.
Flash vs. Substance: Jabrill Peppers
This category is based on players that have a lot of hype to their names but there is still a question lingering out there about whether or not they can really play. Are they really that good or do they just look that good enough times to fool everybody? Jabrill Peppers is a freak athlete who could be the best safety prospect to come out of college in years. The problem rests on his progression. He still hasn’t showcased the instinct and ball skills of one. If he figures it out he’ll be a superstar. If not, he’ll be an extra linebacker good for a few highlights every year.