The latest mock from ESPN’s draft-tastic duo, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, has them going three rounds while alternating picks, and they have the Chicago Bears going in an interesting direction.
Not only do they have the Bears ignoring offensive line and quarterback, but they have them double dipping at a position on day two, and they have the Bears taking a risk at 20 overall with a player coming off back surgery.
Here’s how they have it for the Bears.
Round 1, Pick 20
McShay’s pick: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
I’m not seeing any offensive tackles here for Chicago, even if I were to reach a little bit, and the Day 1 quarterbacks are off the board. So with Desmond Trufant on a one-year deal, I like Farley — probably the top cover corner in the class — as a running mate to Jaylon Johnson for years to come.
If Farley didn’t have a microdiscectomy last month he could have been the top corner off the board, but back surgery, no matter how minor, is a concern. It was an outpatient procedure that the Mayo Clinic says is “to remove the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine.”
If he stays healthy he could partner with Jaylon Johnson for years to come, but Johnson has his own concerns with a history of shoulder issues.
My guy at this point in the draft would be Oklahoma State’s offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, whom Kiper has going at 29 to Green Bay, but if it has to be a corner I think the safer pick would be Greg Newsome II from Northwestern.
Round 2, Pick 52
McShay’s pick: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
If Mel hadn’t taken Davis Mills at No. 51, I had him penciled in here. I’m not ready to reach for Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond or Florida’s Kyle Trask just yet, so I’ll pivot to giving Andy Dalton another playmaker. Moore has rare speed and burst.
Going wide out on day 2 wouldn’t surprise me, and Moore’s 4.29 forty speed would be a welcome addition to any receiver room. He may be on the smaller side at 5’7”, 181 pounds, but he plays as fast as he tests and is electric with the ball in his hands.
They have offensive linemen Dillon Radunz from North Dakota State and Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood going at 54 and 55 respectively.
Round 3, Pick 83
Kiper’s pick: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC
I know that McShay gave the Bears Rondale Moore in Round 2, but they need to get Andy Dalton all the help they can. St. Brown had 178 catches over the past three seasons, and he knows how to get open.
I’d love the Bears getting St. Brown in the third, but not after taking a wide out earlier. Had the Bears gone with one of those aforementioned offensive linemen with the last pick, this one would have made more sense to me. I think a wide out double dip is a possibility, especially with Anthony Miller on the trade block, but not in the second and third.
What would you think about this threesome if the Bears drafted this way next week?
