Chicago Bears: Grading Each Pick Of The 2015 NFL Draft

As the Chicago Bears enter another season, a wave of hope surrounded the fans of Chicago. Football analysts and media personnel discussed and dissected who would go number one. Would it be Danny Shelton, Amari Cooper or Vic Beasley? Now that the draft is over and the questions have been answered, here are the draft grades for the Chicago Bears.

Round 1/7^th overall: WR Kevin White – West Virginia

With the trade of Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets, Kevin White became the obvious choice and the best fit for the Bears offense. White has tremendous speed clocking a 4.35 at the Combine. Mike Mayock described White this way, “with the ball in his hands, this kid is exciting. He’s a natural ball catcher.” With the way QB Jay Cutler throws the ball, White will use his skills to reach up and secure the ball for the catch. White also has the ability to keep his eye on the ball coming behind him with freakish accuracy.

Cutler will have incredible targets in Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White while using Eddie Royal in the slot. A great solid pick for the first-round. Grade A+

Round 2/38^th overall: DT Eddie Goldman – Florida State

This was a must-have pick in the right direction in regards to shoring up the defensive line. Since the Bears passed up on NT Danny Shelton, Goldman was the next best thing. At 6’4”, 336 lbs he will fit well in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme. His long arms will help him stand in the A-gap and 2-gap. A real student of the game and a great run stuffer. It is questionable if he can play in sub-packages, but with training he should be able to nail it. Grade: A

Round 3/71^st overall: C Hroniss Grasu – Oregon State

OG Kyle :ong is probably more excited than anyone. Long has his best buddy on the team. With Roberto Garza gone, the Bears signed former center Will Montgomery from the Denver Broncos to a one-year deal. So it made sense to pick Grasu to be the big solid player for the Bears. An extremely efficient player in his position, he is hungry to learn and play in the NFL. Grasu played all four years for the Ducks and will be a starter in no time. He has the ability to make blocks in the open field and just opens up holes for running backs. With Long matched side-by-side, the Long-Grasu combination is going to be the talk of Chicago fans everywhere. Grade: A-

Round 4/106^th overall: RB Jeremy Langford – Michigan State

With so many defensive needs, it was a little surprising that the Bears chose a running back in the 4^th round.  However, Jeremy Langford may be the surprise pick, not as a replacement for current RB Matt Forte’, but a much need big back for the run game. Langford rushed for 2,944 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 568 carries in the past two years for Michigan State. I would not be surprised if he is used in the return game or as a 3^rd down back. Grade: B+

Round 5/142^nd overall: FS Adrain Amos – Penn State

A three-year starter, Adrian Amos recorded 149 tackles, 19 pass breakups and seven interceptions while appearing in 49 games with 39 starts. Amos played corner most of his career then moved over to the safety position. A very versatile player, Amos loves covering the slot, tight-ends and outside receivers. Amos consistently reads his keys correctly wherever he is placed. With Chris Conte out, Amos appears to be a fresh and strong defensive back. A real steal for the Bears here, with solid value. Grade: A-

Round 6/183^rd overall: OT Tayo Fabuluje – TCU

This is a surprise and questionable pick. He is an enormous tackle standing at 6’-6”, 353 lbs, can be a strong anchor but has some character issues such as weight and motivation. Sloppy with his hands and needs a lot of work with his feet.Penn State OT Mike Hull was still available and a better fit for the Bears. Hull has break down action and can attack with quick precision. However, the Bears saw something in Fabuluje at his pro day. If he values the opportunity to play in the NFL, he will control his weight, train harder than he ever has and be willing to learn and adhere to whatever the coaching staff demands. Depending how well he does this summer in OTAs, he can be an immediate backup. Grade: C+

Overall, GM Ryan Pace and head Coach John Fox addressed the needs in both offense and defense. Not picking a quarterback in this draft, indicates that the Bears continue to stand behind QB Jay Cutler for this season.

One thing is for certain, the Chicago Bears will be a different team going into 2015 and the NFC North will have a real competition