This is it. The final four days until the draft. For many of us the draft is a highlight of the offseason. For an event that is really, when boiled down, just a guy reading names from a podium, it offers plenty of suspense, drama and surprises. Who rises, falls, who trades up, down, grabs an unexpected player, etc.? Anyway, I think my "Prospecting for Gold" series has reached a pretty good end point and at this stage, it seems generally likely that we know who is on the Bears' radar. So then, who will be the picks? Since we won't know until Saturday night, I thought it might be fun to look at guys I think should or could be the picks and/or the picks I most want to see. And then let you chime in too.
I am going to post a few different lists here; a realistic draft, a "fantasy" sort of and later a "trade scenario" or two where I explore the possibilities of a trade down with a team.First of all, I am going to look at the first five rounds for this article. Those are the rounds most likely to find impact players and they are also the rounds with which I am most familiar with the players. A 7th round pick isn't likely to be a rookie starter (J'Marcus Webb aside) and even if they are, hell I am not going to be able to be accurate with a 5th round pick projection, let alone a 200th plus pick projection so I'm sticking to five rounds.
First up, my realistic scenario. This is what kind of draft I'd like to see for the Bears:
1st round - 19th pick - Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
2nd round - 50th pick - Mohammad Sanu, WR, Rutgers
3rd round - 79th pick - Mike Martin, DT, Michigan
4th round - 111th pick - Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas
5th round - 150th pick - Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia
Now, a "fantasy" scenario, where every player the Bears want falls to them:
19. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame (or Quinton Coples, if he falls that far)
50. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse (This would then be Rueben Randle if Coples is the first)
79. Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami Ohio
111. LaDarius Green, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette
150. Aaron Henry, S, Wisconsin
Now I am going to type a sort of realistic draft "B." This is closer to what I think Emery will do.
19. Andre Branch, DE, Clemson
50. Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
79. Mike Martin, DT, Michigan
111. Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas
150. Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
Honestly, this one I could see go any way with that fifth round pick. Not much that Emery does would surprise me. There are a few sources I've seen connecting the Bears with Branch at 19 (even though many would say it's a reach, here and here say otherwise). I think Emery goes defensively heavy but there could be an OL in the first five rounds as well. Jeffery is a risky pick overall, but he's talented and if he's there at 50, I think Emery has shown he isn't afraid to take a risk on a guy with talent.
Check back here later for part two of my "Ideal Bears Draft" post where I'll look at some trade scenarios I could see the Bears doing in the early rounds. In the meantime, chime in below with your ideal Bears drafts.