FanPost

Ditka's Mock Draft 4.0 (The Big Haul Edition)

For this particular Mock Draft, I utilized the Fanspeak Premium edition so that I could introduce trades into the equation. This one was particularly fun because I really weighed the pros and cons of the trade offers that I received. I ended up trading back 3 separate times in the draft. This is a very unlikely scenario but hey, let’s have some fun 2 weeks before the Draft!

I had Ryan Pace trading the No. 3 overall pick to the Panthers, for the No. 8 overall, No. 40 overall (2nd Round Pick), No. 64 (2nd Round Pick) and No. 98 (3rd Round Pick).

Once I was on the clock at No. 8, the Broncos offered me the No. 20 overall (1st Round Pick), No. 51 overall (2nd Round Pick), No. 82 overall (3rd Round Pick) and No. 101 overall (3rd Round Compensatory Pick) for the No. 8 overall pick. How could I possibly pass that up?

I decided that I was done trading back at this point. But in the 4th Round, the Patriots came calling and offered No. 131 (4th Round Pick) and No. 183 (5th Round Compensatory Pick) for the No. 117 (4th Round Pick). There were still a lot of good players on the board and I felt that this was good value.

In summary, I started the day with 7 picks and came away with 14! Given how deep this draft class is, it really would be a dream scenario if this actually plays out. Since I have covered several of these players already in previous mocks, and the fact that there are 14 of them, I am going to give a shorter breakdown of each pick.

Disclaimer: I am not a draft expert. By no means do I claim to know everything about all of these prospects. Every year as the NFL Draft approaches, I like to familiarize myself with as many prospects as I can with a focus on the Bears’ needs. For this exercise, I used the Fanspeak Premium mock draft tool with Matt Miller’s "Big Board." The point being to run a mock where I had to do some research on players that I was not wholly familiar with.

Disclaimer 2: I am well aware of the fact that this is about as likely to happen as Garrett falling into our laps at 3.

Round 1 - Pick No. 20 – 20th Overall: Derek Barnett – EDGE – Tennessee

Derek Barnett has all the tools to be a premier pass-rusher at the NFL level. For the Bears, he will be an Outside Linebacker and instantly enter the rotation with Leonard Floyd, Pernell McPhee, Willie Young and, if he is still on the team, Lamarr Houston.

Barnett has active hands, good athleticism and more than enough strength to set the edge in the run game. Barnett and Floyd will make a fantastic pair of young pass-rushers for years to come.

Round 2 - Pick No. 4 – 36th Overall: Budda Baker – Safety – Washington

I really like Budda Baker. I think he has all the tools to be a great safety, but he gets knocked out of the 1st Round due to his size. He reminds me a lot of Mike Brown and Bob Sanders. Those were both Safeties that were limited by size and injuries derailed their great careers. Injuries are a possibility with Baker, but it is worth the risk to get a player of his caliber in the 2nd Round.

Round 2 - Pick No. 8 – 40th Overall: Tre’Davious White – Cornerback – LSU

White is excellent in coverage. Smooth hips and mirroring skills make him a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s Defense. Ed Donatell is a well-regarded Defensive Back’s coach and he rarely has had a player with White’s coverage ability to work with. White has the ceiling of a true No. 1, lock-down Cornerback and a floor of a solid No. 2 on a good defense.

Round 2 - Pick No. 19 – 51st Overall: Evan Engram – Tight End/H-Back/Wide Receiver – Ole’ Miss

What Engram brings to the table is an intriguing skill-set that, if harnessed, could turn him into a really good football player. I have seen his NFL comparison as Jordan Reed, which is not a poor comparison. I see him as more of a big WR that can block though. If Evan Engram is fully committed to football, he will become a player that every defensive coordinator will dread facing. He is a matchup nightmare!

Round 2 - Pick No. 32 – 64th Overall: Tim Williams – EDGE – Alabama

Tim Williams is right up there with the most talented players on Alabama’s defense. He consistently shows up on film. He is a tad raw but the natural ability he has is through the roof. Williams is similar to a more compactly built Leonard Floyd. Same type of burst and athleticism. Teamed up with Floyd and Barnett, this make for a trio of pass rushers that would rival any team in the NFL.

Round 3 - Pick No. 3 – 67th Overall: Dan Feeney – Guard – Indiana

Feeney is a perfect fit for the Bears Offense. He is good in pass protection and has the athleticism to excel in a zone-blocking scheme, which the Bears currently employ. The reason I chose a Guard here is that Josh Sitton is getting older and Kyle Long has some injury issues. This also would allow Long to potentially move out to Right Tackle again at some point. At worst, Feeney will be a very good back-up at a position that generally sees injuries every season.

Round 3 - Pick No. 18 – 82nd Overall: Carlos Henderson – Wide Receiver – Louisiana Tech

Henderson isn’t the biggest or fastest but he just gets the job done. He runs routes well and gains separation consistently. His hands are generally quite good. He likely isn’t a starter on Day-1, but should be a shoe-in for the starting lineup in 2018, along with Cameron Meredith and (hopefully) Kevin White.

Round 3 - Pick No. 34 – 98th Overall: Marcus Williams – Safety – Utah

If this were to work out in the real world, it would allow Budda Baker to play Strong Safety, while the ball-hawking Williams could roam free as the deep Safety. Williams can occasionally give up extra yardage with a lack of physicality but should more than make up for it with his tremendous ball skills. This would give the Bears a young, standout Safety tandem for the foreseeable future.

Round 3 - Pick No. 37 – 101st Overall: Brad Kaaya – Quarterback – Miami

This time last season, Brad Kaaya was thought of as the No. 1 Quarterback coming out in the 2017 draft. He didn’t have a great year in 2016 and his stock has fallen quite a bit. He is the Jay Cutler of College Football. I mean that as he has had 3 different coordinators in 3 seasons and a poor team around him for most of his time in Miami. He needs some work and signing Glennon gives him 1 to 3 years to sit, learn and work on his mechanics. He has all the tools but needs the right coaching to live up to his massive potential.

Round 4 - Pick No. 4 – 111st Overall: Chris Wormley – Defensive End/5-Technique – Michigan

Wormley is a perfect fit in Vic Fangio’s defense…if he can be more consistent. His motor runs hot and cold, but he has the size (6’5" 298 lbs) to be a disruptive force on a line with Akieem Hicks and Eddie Goldman. He is a little lighter than those two, but he is more explosive and could turn into a nice pass-rusher from the Defensive End spot.

Round 4 - Pick No. 24 – 131st Overall: Ethan Pucic – Offensive Lineman – LSU

I am not listing Pucic’s position because he currently plays Center, which the Bears don’t have a need at. He has played all over the line for LSU and in my opinion, he is simply too tall (6’6") to play inside in the NFL. I am projecting him as a developmental Offensive Tackle for the future but at worst, he can fill in at any position on the Offensive Line.

Round 5 - Pick No. 3 – 147th Overall: Kendell Beckwith – Inside Linebacker – LSU

Beckwith is most similar to Jerrell Freeman than he is to Danny Trevathan. He is a tackle machine with somewhat limited athletic abilities. This isn’t the greatest need position for the Bears but the value in the 5th Round was too good to pass up. He is coming off of a torn ACL, so he will like "red shirt" his Rookie season.

Round 5 - Pick No. 39 – 183rd Overall: Ejuan Price – EDGE – Pittsburgh

Yes, another EDGE player. You can never have enough pass-rushers and Price is another guy who fits that bill. Price is a little different than the other EDGE players in the mock in that he is more of a power rusher and has an excellent motor. I view Price as more of a replacement for Pernell McPhee when the time comes to part ways with the veteran. Additionally, age and health is a major concern for the current roster at Outside Linebacker. This is a good draft to restock the cupboard with pass-rushers.

Round 7 - Pick No. 3 – 221st Overall: Donnel Pumphrey – Running Back – San Diego State

How can you pass up the guy who broke Ron Dayne’s NCAA Division I rushing record and Marshall Faulk’s San Diego State rushing records? Pumphrey is small but lighting quick and has breakaway speed. He is a try-hard type of kid and often plays bigger than his 5’8" 176 lbs frame would indicate. He can carve out a niche with the Bears as the change-of-pace to Jordan Howard. Pumphrey would greatly benefit from a defense worn down by the bruising Howard. The key will be his receiving skills.



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