FanPost

Sorting out ESPN's Mock Draft

Shout out to Robert Zeglinksi for covering three of the mock drafts that went up recently. Two other mock drafts went up this afternoon at ESPN from Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. There is only one instance where any of the experts had similarities. Both Todd McShay and Steve Palozzolo, of Pro Football Focus, had the Bears taking Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Otherwise the other three players mocked to the Bears are different than the ones covered in Zeglinski’s write up. So, I’ll focus on those three players and leave Allen out of this post.

Mel Kiper Jr. had the Bears taking Ohio State safety Malik Hooker with the third overall pick in his draft. Hooker is the wildly athletic safety who tied for the most interceptions last year. Hooker does well with his reads and has strong tracking skills. I think Hooker might need time to develop and Quintin Demps might provide some insurance should the Bears go with Hooker. Some of the knocks on Hooker are for shoddy tackling and overaggressive style of play. If Hooker is caught out of position, his speed can help him recover. I think Hooker would be a positive addition to Vic Fangio’s defense, the question is how quickly will he contribute?

Colorado corner Chidobe Awuzie is the player coming off the board with pick #36 in Kiper Jr’s mock. Awuzie is a strong player and excels in zone coverage and is a solid tackler. I think this could end up being a decent pick, but the stat that worries me is Awuzie only had three interceptions in his three years playing for Colorado. Awuzie has the size that some teams covet when picking corners, but if it were my pick I’d go elsewhere.

I like Todd McShay’s pick at #36, he goes with Florida cornerback Quincy Wilson. This is a player I haven’t heard much about so I had to poke around and learn more about him. From what I dug up, I found two different tales. Looking at his profile on Pro Football Focus makes Wilson seem like a real gem. He has only given up 16, 25, and 16 receptions in his three seasons for a total of 616 yards. The deep ball is one Wilson plays well and he’s another big corner at 6’1" so he can matchup with bigger receivers. One negative is that he is willing to take risks and gamble in coverage. Both CBS and SI noted that this can result in some big plays. PFF notes he was only targeted 49 times in his three years. My guess is that Wilson is the benefactor of luck and that he might get beat, but the numbers don’t reflect it because his opponents either didn’t make the read or connect on the throw.

Either way, I’m on the fence about either of the second round picks. I like that both pundits have the Bears addressing the need for cornerback, but wouldn’t mind seeing LSU’s TreDavious White or Washington’s Kevin King if they’re available.

What about you, would you be excited if the Bears ended up with these players?

This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.