John 'Moon' Mullin has been saying for weeks that he expects the Bears to use their 1st round draft pick this year on either the offensive or defensive line, and today he's reporting that they are "looking hard" at DTs for the 29th pick.
We're going to make the safe assumption that top prospects Nick Fairley and Marcell Dareus will be gone by the time the Bears make their selection, so here is a short list of other DTs that could be candidates for later in the 1st round:
Stephen Paea | 6'1, 285 pounds | DT |
Jurrell Casey | 6'1, 305 pounds | DT |
Corey Liuget | 6'3, 300 pounds | DT |
Drake Nevis | 6'2, 285 pounds | DT | LSU (Video)
Muhammad Wilkerson | 6'5, 305 pounds | DT |
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With the future of Tommie Harris unknown (see Brad Biggs' take here/see Jerry Angelo's comments here), there can certainly be an argument made for drafting a disruptive DT in the 1st round. My personal preference would be to see them take the best available OLineman, but so far, the team hasn't asked my opinion.
We should know how a lot of the roster will shake down before March 3rd, including the fate of Tommie Harris, and that will certainly allow for a more informed look at the who the Bears might be looking at with their 29th pick. Until then, we'll rely on the speculation of veteran writers like Moon and Biggs, who certainly are more right than they are wrong.
Also, you can check out Dominique Blanton's write-up on the DTs right here.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of taking a DT in the 1st round?