Previewing the NFL draft: Chicago Bears

In less than two weeks from now, the 2015 NFL Draft will be held in the Windy City and much has been talked about as to what the Bears should do.

Matt Eurich, featured columnist for Bleacher Report talks about how the Bears can make the most out of this year’s draft.

Ryan Pace was hired as the team’s new General Manager in January and said the key to have a winning organization starts with how well they draft players. “The recipe to winning Super Bowls is stringing successful drafts together again and again,” he said courtesy of the Chicago Tribune. He continues, “We are not just collecting athletes. We are acquiring football players that fit the Chicago Bears.”

The Monsters of the Midway as they are known besides the Bears have six picks in the 2015 draft, and Pace will have to get the most out of them especially on the defensive side of the football.

After the Bears hired John Fox as their head coach, the hired Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator, and he was with the 49ers last season. The team also hired Adam Gase to be their new offensive coordinator. He was with Fox in Denver last season.

Eurich mentions ways in which the Bears can make the most of the draft. Since the team has a new defensive coordinator, the defense will likely go from a 4-3 to a 3-4. He mentions that the team will need an overhaul because not many of their players on that side of the ball are familiar with this type of defense.

In his coaching career, Fox has had success drafting successful pass rushers. In 2002 as the coach of the Carolina Panthers, the team drafted Julius Peppers with the second overall pick. Then in 2011, the Broncos drafted Von Miller with his first pick.

He mentions some possibilities that may still be on the board when they select the 7th overall pick in the first round. Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Missouri’s Shane Ray, and Kentucky’s Alvin Dupree could all be available when their turn comes and he mentions that the Bears should not be hard to select a pass rusher.

Eurich mentions that he believes the first two picks in the draft should be starters right away but also believes that the third pick could be a starter as well. The Bears have a glaring need at safety and he mentions that Fresno State’s Derron Smith could be still on the board when they select for the 71st overall pick.

Besides the draft, the Bears could look to free agency if they aren’t satisfied and one guy that is out there in this position is Devin McCourty, who plays for the New England Patriots.

If the Bears select Smith, he would be expected to compete against Brock Vereen for the starting free safety position ahead of the 2015 season.

Bears fans may think they have balance on the other side of the ball especially with running back, but he believes the offense can benefit from a what he calls “a change-of pace-player” at running back. Some backups that he mentions the Bears could select to back up Forte include: Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, who is a quick runner with good hands, who can spell Matt Forte. The other option could be T.J. Yeldon, who played his collegiate career at Alabama.

Even though running back is not a pressing position for the team at this time, Eurich believes that bringing in Abdullah or Yeldon can add some competition at the position and allow the organization to determine who will take over for Forte because he isn’t getting any younger. Plus what comes into play is the fact that when an NFL player is 30, 31, 32, that means he can be closer to retirement compared to the other three major sports.

While the Bears do not have a pick in the fifth round after trading their 2014 and 2015 fifth rounders to the Broncos last may, when the 6th round comes, it is likely that the Bears will be looking for a guy on special teams. The team has a Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett but after him, but do not have much depth after him.

A possibility for the team could include Zach Miller, who had a solid training camp before suffering a season ending injury or they could look at someone younger. If the Bears want to look at who’s available in the draft, there isn’t much talent there but they could select South Alabama’s Wes Saxton, who hasn’t put up numbers that catch people’s eyes but some believe he has potential.

In three seasons at South Alabama, he had 96 catches for 1,126 yards but CBS sports Dane Brugler says that he must prove himself to be more dependable in the red-zone.

Another position the Bears may have their eyes on in this years draft is the offensive line. He mentions that Texas A&M guard Jarvis Harrison could be a steal in the 7th and final round assuming he is still on the board if he can improve his “balance and effort at the point of attack.” This past season, Harrison played at left tackle but Eurich says that he is better suited at guard. The team is set at the left and right guard with Matt Slauson and Kyle Long but adding Harrison could add some depth in a position that the team has lacked for a while.

This draft will be a critical one for the Bears if they are to take the first step in improving their defense, which has been not so Bear like the last couple seasons. There are many issues surrounding the team right now and if the Bears can have not a good draft but a great one especially on the defensive side of the ball, teams such as the Packers may fear the Bears defense, which is what Bears fans have not seen the last couple seasons.