The Bears kept it local to begin the draft Saturday morning, selecting Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton with the 109th overall pick and the 10th selection of the round.
Wootton was projected as a first- or second-round draft pick but slipped through the draft because teams were concerned about his health. He was not as productive during his senior season for the Wildcats as he worked his way back from a torn ACL he suffered in the Alamo Bowl his junior season.
General manager Jerry Angelo said the Bears were going to maintain a focus on defense on the final day of the draft, and he and coach Lovie Smith have always coveted pass rushers.
Photo: Northwestern's Corey Wootton pressures the QB against Iowa. (Charles Cherney/AP)
At 6-6, 270 pounds, Wootton projects as a left end. The Bears certainly have a crowded house on the line, and they are giving defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli another talented player. Also, defensive line coach Eric Washington came to the Bears from Northwestern, so he is familiar with Wootton.
"This is a value pick for us," college scouting director Greg Gabriel said. "We had him going into the year as a highly rated player. He wasn't 100 percent when he played this year. This guy was highly thought of by everyone. He fell because of the injury. He's a good player."
The Bears were not thinking about Wootton because they never thought he would be available. When he went unselected after the third round, he stood out on their board Friday night, but they still thought he would be taken in the first nine picks this morning. Other teams the Northwestern football office this morning expressing interest, but Wootton slipped to the Bears.
"We didn't think he was back 100 percent," Gabriel said. "But we think by camp he will be. Our medical people looked at him and the knee is sound. We know who did the surgery."
Now, Wootton can learn from the newest free-agent prize, Julius Peppers. Gabriel said with safety Major Wright and Wootton in the fold, the draft has gone better than expected.
If the last of burst was definitely due to the surgery that he's now fully recovered from, this is good value.
