Mocking the Mocks: A look at multiple Mock Drafts for the Chicago Bears

We've spotlighted a bunch of mock drafts these last couple months in advance of the real deal that will take place beginning on May 8th.

The general consensus at 14 for the Chicago Bears has been one of three positions. Defensive tackle, safety, or corner, in that order of popularity. At 51 in the second round they usually have the Bears addressing one of these three needs as well.

Today we'll take a quick look around a few recent mock drafts at their guesses for the Chicago Bears, to see how much things have changed. Let us know which mocks you like, and which you think are terrible.

We'll start off with the two round mock from Evan Silva of Rotoworld from April 18th because it's different, and we can all use a fresh look at a Chicago mock.

14. Chicago Bears -- Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert

Gilbert's college tape isn't as impressive as Darqueze Dennard, Kyle Fuller, or Jason Verrett's, but he offers the highest ceiling in this year's cornerback class. Gilbert stands 6-foot, 202 with 33 1/8-inch arms, and ran 4.37 at the Combine with an explosive 10-foot-6 broad jump. Phil Emery has shown a fondness for measurables through two drafts as Bears GM. Charles Tillman turned 33 in February, while Tim Jennings is best suited for a No. 2 corner role. Gilbert has tools to be a No. 1.

I like his direction with this pick, since the top safety and top defensive tackle are off the board. Gilbert has the potential to be a special player, and a year of not being counted on to be the number one CB will do wonders for his development.

Here's the SB Nation scouting report on Gilbert.

In the second round Silva has the Bears going in a different direction as well.

51. Chicago Bears -- Oregon State DE Scott Crichton

GM Phil Emery did an admirable job of patching up his defensive line in free agency, but won't want elder statesmen Jared Allen, Jay Ratliff, and Israel Idonije playing too many snaps. Crichton has been likened to Panthers sack master Charles Johnson by Rotoworld draft guru Josh Norris.

Crichton is a player we haven't spent much time profiling so I'll give you the skinny on him. He's a 6'3", 273 pound well rounded athlete. He has decent speed (4.84 forty) and strength (24 reps at 225lbs), with good quickness and technique. He projects to a 4-3 DE, but in college he played some DT.

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Charles Davis at NFL.com has the Bears going with a safety at 14th overall in his mock from yesterday.

HA HA CLINTON-DIX, FS, ALABAMA

Bears seeking patrolling free safety to combat passing attacks of Green Bay and Detroit. Clinton-Dix fits the bill.

With the top DT off his board, Clinton-Dix is a logical choice.

Here's the SB Nation scouting video for Ha Ha.

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Greg Gabriel, former Director of College Scouting for the Chicago Bears, just released a one round mock today, and he's holding onto his prediction of a corner to the Bears at 14.

14 - Chicago Bears - Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan St.
The Bears went after defensive linemen in free agency. In the draft, they will take care of the secondary. Had Donald fallen to here, he would have been a possibility, as would Clinton-Dix. When you compare Dennard to safety Calvin Pryor, Dennard is the better overall player. The Bears may look to trade down if this is the scenario they are looking at.

Much like the Rotoworld mock above, with the #1 DT and #1 safety off his board, taking a corner makes sense. I agree with his assessment that Dennard is a better player than Pryor, but Pryor would fit a need at safety for the Bears.

The scouts at SB Nation has a video package on Dennard too.

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CBSSports.com has a slew of mock drafters, with Rob Rang having the most recent. He revealed his two round mock draft today and he's really thinking outside the box with his pick at 14.

C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama: Given the additions of defensive linemen Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen and Willie Young via agency, the Bears are likely to focus on the back seven in the draft. Possessing rare read-and-react skills and fluidity, Mosley is capable of starring at virtually any of the three linebacker roles in Chicago's 4-3 alignment.

I really like Mosely as a prospect, and the Bears could use the 6'2", 234 pounder in the middle of their defense, but with no corners off his board yet, I think CB would be the way to go.

Then again, Mosley would be an intriguing pick. Check out this SB Nation clip of his play.

In the second round Rang has the Bears addressing corner.

Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: Given their focus on the defensive line in free agency, adding youth and grit to the Chicago secondary could extend into Round Two for the Bears.

Scouts don't point to one stand out item in his game, rather they label him as a well rounded prospect. He does play stronger than his pedestrian eight reps on the bench press would indicate, but he could use more work in an NFL weight room.

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This next mock is still from CBSports.com, and it's the April 21st mock from Dane Brugler.

Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State: The Bears addressed the defensive end position via free agency, adding Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young this offseason. But the interior is still a need area, making Jernigan and his versatile skill-set a strong possibility here.

Jernigan isn't atop most DT draft boards, but he is a solid NFL prospect. If I were picking in this particular mock, I would probably go with Alabama safety Clinton-Dix then come back for my DT in the 2nd, but Jernigan is a viable option.

At 51 overall, he has the Bears going with a corner we've yet to discus.

Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson: The Bears' cornerback tandem of Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings are both over 30 and some youth is needed at the position.

The CBS big board has him as the 10th rated corner and the 78th prospect overall.

I'm not a fan of this choice. There are a number of corners and safeties I would have went with at this point over Breeland.

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If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering where in the heck has Pitt DT Aaron Donald been.

Both CBSSports' Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan have the Bears taking Donald at 14 in their mocks from last week. As does the community mock draft from our sister site Canal Street Chronicles.

It seems the longer it takes for the actual draft to arrive, the more mock drafters are mixing up their mocks. Players rising and falling based on a rumor or a hunch seems to be the norm thee days. Prospects are being so over-analyzed you have to wonder about some scouts initial assessments.

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I saved a couple longer mocks for the end, first of which is a five rounder from Charlie Campbell of Walter Football. Here's how he had it falling for the Bears, and I'll even include some of his thoughts on a few of his picks.

1st Round - HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

Safety is a strong possibility in the first for the Bears and this is the consensus top safety available.

2nd Round - Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU

The speedy and athletic Ferguson (6-3, 315) was impressive in 2013, especially early in the season. He recorded 58 tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. Ferguson can be disruptive at the point of attack and uses his speed to cause a lot of havoc behind the line of scrimmage. The redshirt junior started out hot in 2013, but cooled off. He had seven tackles against Alabama. Ferguson decided to enter the 2014 NFL Draft, but would have had a better shot at the first round by returning to school.

I'm not sure if Ferguson will make an impact as a rookie, but he does have some upside to his game.

3rd Round - Dontae Johnson, CB, N.C. State

Johnson (6-2, 200) picked up 82 tackles with two passes broken up and three interceptions in 2013. He was improved over his previous two seasons. For teams looking for tall and long cornerbacks, Johnson will be on their radar. He landed a spot in the Senior Bowl and had a decent week. At the Combine, Johnson ran faster than expected with a 4.45 40-yard dash. He is a sleeper worth watching and could benefit from the success of the Seattle Seahawks' cornerbacks.

Teams really covet the tall corners to match up with the big wide outs that are so prevalent in the NFL these days.

4th Round - Victor Hampton, CB, South Carolina

Hampton is a bit on the smallish side (5'9', 197), but he plays much bigger than his size, so much so that he may project to safety in the NFL. He has some character red flags which could hurt his stock.

5th Round - DeAndre Coleman, DT, California

At the Senior Bowl, Coleman had a quality week of practice. He has size and power with some quickness. Coleman (6-5, 314) could fit as a 3-4 defensive end, nose tackle or a 4-3 defensive tackle in the NFL.

This would fit the scheme versatility that Chicago GM Phil Emery seems to covet.

I like the first round pick of his mock, but after that it seems questionable.

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We've utilized the Mock Draft Simulator of Fanspeak on a few occasions, but today we'll check out the full seven round mock that they put together. Like I did above, I'll include some of their insights.

14 - CB, Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State

With the top two safeties off the board this pick will come down to either a defensive tackle or a corner. It could really go either way, but with Donald off the board and Gilbert still available, I believe the Bears would favor adding a potential shutdown corner.

Gilbert is the top corner on most boards, and is a solid pick here.

51 - DT, Will Sutton, Arizona State

The Bears need to add a defensive tackle at this spot and Sutton is a guy who could be a nice fit. Sutton could thrive in the Bears system as a quality pass rushing defensive tackle.

Sutton is a 6', 303 pound prospect that has some scouts questioning his motor. At this point in the draft I'd rather go with Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt.

82 - DT, DaQuan Jones, Penn State

While Sutton was more of the 3 tech, pass rushing DT, Jones can be the run stuffer who occupies blockers.

I like Jones as a prospect more than I like Sutton.

117 - WR, Robert Herron, Wyoming

He's a 5'9", 193 pounder with 4.48 speed, and a good across the board athlete.

156 - S, Brock Vereen, Minnesota

One of the best athletic performances at the combine among the safeties. He also has experience at corner, although scouts peg him at safety in the NFL/

183 - RB, Isaiah Crowell, Alabama State

Scouts like his pass protection skills and they say he has soft hands to develop into a viable outlet in the passing game. At 5'11", and 224 pounds he ran a 4.57 40. He started his career at Georgia before running into some trouble with the law.

191 - QB, Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

He's super athletic for a QB, which prompts some to believe a position change is in the cards. He didn't show marked improvements at college, but a QB whisperer could do wonders...

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What are your thoughts on these mock drafts?