Prospect Profile: Joey Bosa, Edge, Ohio State
Pros: Considered the best edge prospect in the draft. Very strong at the point of attack, with great technique. Should be able to be an impact player Day One and considered a top-five talent.
Cons: Not the kind of guy who’s going to lead the league in sacks every year. He’s a good athlete, but not great. Certainly isn’t JJ Watt or even a smaller version of JJ Watt. Doesn’t add speed to the Bears defense.
Summary: No use taking a lot of time to over-think this one. Bosa should go very high and likely will. He may not get 15 sacks a year, but he should regulary eight eight-to-10 while setting the edge against the run.
Jeff’s Thought: I think the Bears (and Bears fans) would be thrilled if the team has an opportunity to take Bosa. The JJ Watt comparisons are being made for one reason: he’s white. Does every white guy have to get compared to JJ Watt?
Prospect Profile: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Pros: Considered a complete back. He can catch passes, block and make people miss. Very good size and speed ratio. Doesn’t look like he’s 225 pounds, but he was great in short-yardage.
Cons: Not explosive like Todd Gurley or Adrian Peterson. Big but doesn’t always run with power. Hard to judge how much his success was due to having a very good offensive line.
Summary: The consensus top running back in the draft will likely be available when the Bears pick and would make a lot of sense as he’s very similar to Matt Forte. Not sold that his strengths as a back are what the Bears need. Jeremy Langford should be a good receiver out of the backfield and both he and Ka’Deem Carey were good in short-yardage situations. Still, if it’s just about adding talent, Elliott would be hard to pass up.
Jeff’s Thought: If you’re taking a running back with the eleventh pick in the draft you better be damn sure he’s special. Especially when the Bears may have a special back on their roster. I’m not buying the Bears interest in Elliot.
Prospect Profile: William Jackson III, CB, Houston
Pros: Checks all the boxes. Possess great size, length and overall athleticism for the position. Intercepted five passes with two returned for touchdowns and had 23 passes defensed.
Cons: The competition he played against wasn’t the greatest. Cornerbacks usually have a difficult time adjusting to the NFL and that could be especially true for him. Some question is his hips are hip and if he gambles too much.
Summary: Vic Fangio’s defense doesn’t put a lot on the cornerback, but what defensive coordinator wouldn’t want to upgrade the talent at that position and allow their team to be more versatile? Jackson is going to be a project, but with Fangio calling the defense and Ed Donatell as his position coach, he could become a premier cornerback.
Jeff’s Thought: I don’t know much about the kid. But I do know that Andrew would be secretly (or not so secretly) thrilled if the Bears took Jackson.
