Chicago Bears: 5 First Round Talents Who Could Fall to Second

If the Chicago Bears want to have success in the NFL draft, they know one of the vital keys is finding talent that slips through the cracks.

Sometimes the easiest explanation is securing projected 1st round picks in the 2nd round. A good example of this is Eddie Goldman. Many expected the Florida State defensive tackle to go at some point in the second half of the 1st round during the 2015 draft. Instead, he slipped to the top end of the 2nd where the Bears will able to scoop him with the 39th pick. Now he’s one of the best players on their emerging top 10 defense.

The Bears just so happen to hold that same exact pick this year in the draft. So the odds are favorable of this happening again. It comes down to determining which 1st round talents stand the greater chance of taking that unfortunate (or fortunate depending on your viewpoint) plunge. All things being equal, here are five names that fit the bill as possibilities.

Christian Kirk (WR, Texas A&M)

Speed? Check. Quickness? Indeed. Athleticism? For days. The only thing Christian Kirk doesn’t have going for him at this point is size at 5’11”. The NFL though has shown in recent years that sort of thing doesn’t matter if you can run. Kirk can run. He’s also got a strong pair of hands on him too. His scouting combine reinforced everything that made scouts so excited about him. Still, he’s not a complete burner and the size issue will likely be just enough to drop him to Day 2. Not the Bears will complain. He’d fit perfectly in the Matt Nagy system.

Mike McGlinchey (OT, Notre Dame)

The “other” disciple of offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey doesn’t get the same hype as teammate Quenton Nelson, but he’s another quality blocker that seems to be trapped beneath both that reality and an overall weak tackle class dragging him down. If people were to look properly they’d see McGlinchey is a big, strong, tough and capable blocker who is polished and ready for the pros. He’s not the greatest athlete but such things can be worked around.

Rasheem Green (DE, USC)

Every draft has those certain players scouts and experts say came out “a year too early.” If they’d only waited another year, gotten more experience and refined their bodies they would’ve been a top 10 pick. This is the case for Rasheem Green. The big defensive end is no joke in terms of pure physical prowess as both an athlete and power player. He has the look of a 3-4 defensive end who can become a pass rush specialist if he ever figures out how to use technique and adds more weight to his frame. He’d require some patience, but the upside is incalculable.

Carlton Davis (CB, Auburn)

Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara are back on long-term deals. That’s good news. It ensures some stability for the Bears secondary. That said there’s no such thing as too many talented cornerbacks, especially with Amukamara being closer to his 30th birthday. Carlton Davis looks like the perfect Vic Fangio guy. He’s a big, long and physical player who loves press coverage but is also athletic and fast enough to handle himself against almost any type of wide receiver. It often gets to the point where quarterbacks just avoid him.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: One Quarterback Takes The Plunge

Justin Reid (S, Stanford)

Fangio is familiar with the Reid family by this point. He coaches Justin’s older brother Eric Reid to the Pro Bowl in San Francisco. Justin Reid might actually be a better safety. While he has a similar attitude, intelligence and instinct he is also a better athlete. He can cover a lot of ground in coverage and is rarely out of position. That said he has the size necessary to play down in the box. A true versatile threat that the Bears could employ all over the field. His one drawback is a tendency to get overaggressive at time.