Grade the Bears Draft

[SportsWorld]

My grade:
Day 1: B
Day 2: D
Final Grade: C

[dougthonus]

You really follow enough college ball to make an intelligent distinction on 2nd day picks?

Chris Williams has probowl potential at LT. If he is a success the draft is an A even if every other player we get in the draft never plays a single snap for the team. I think there's a good chance that he's a probowler, so I give us a B based almost soley on that.

I don't know a whole lot about the rest of the guys we drafted, so I'll just wait and see rather than complain. However, I think it's ridiculous when fans complain about needing a <insert position> rather than <insert other position> when you are talking about 4th round and later picks. Probably 70% of the players left in the draft will never be significant NFL players again, you don't worry about position as much as getting a player.

[Howling Mad]

My grade:
Day 1: B
Day 2: D
Final Grade: C

+1 good grades.

Everthing went downhill on day 2. I think St. Louis f'd us up when they picked Schuening ahead of us.

[Howling Mad]

You really follow enough college ball to make an intelligent distinction on 2nd day picks?

I don't think anyone can really do that, but a lot of the day 2 guys were big names on decent programs.

Just the fact that we filled positions that we had strengths in was a bummer. Iceness' fact about CB being a big drain on our finances made the CB pick silly.

Highest CB salary or something like that.

[CBS7]

I'd say B-, so I vote B. Day 1 is an A, day 2 is a C-.

I'm pretty high on Chris Williams as well, and Forte paired with Benson could be a success, but I just don't think we improved our offensive line enough.

Bennett is a solid pick, helps out at WR.

[Howling Mad]

Picking up one legit OL, considering it was, and still is, our biggest weakness, was a joke.

We waited 'till the 7th round to pick up more OL, silly move. Garza is ok, but a 6th lineman on a good team, and St. Clair is 30+ years old and plays the same position as Tait.

[natedog125]

Day 1 A
Day 2 D

Final Grade C

[CBS7]

I do dislike the CB and TE pick, but points were raised that Clark is getting up there in age.

The CB pick still makes no sense though. Tillman, Vasher, McBride, Manning... Maybe he'll help out on special teams?

[NLK]

I agree a bit with Doug. Day 1, I think we did well for what we got (a blocking Tackle and a decent RB). As far as day 2 goes, we can't make any real assessment until training camp and the preseason. I had a feeling we weren't going to draft a QB, and logically that makes sense. I think Grossy & Orton are capable of playing at this level, once that O-Line begins to block better. Once that Line is blocking, then we can see Angelo for what he is (same goes for Benson) and evaluate him. I have a feeling some of our picks are going to pan out pretty well, and compliment the players we already have in place.

[Posey H8er]

The guys I like so far, especially after looking into them are Chris Williams (1st) because of the obvious need at that position, Matt Forte (2nd) who has good size at runningback, Earl Bennett (3rd A), and Craig Steltz in the 4th round.

I'm not sure on the other middle round and late round guys, but I always feel that way. I'm sure that JA will find some diamond in the rough.

[SHO'NUFF]

I give it a C or C-

Not getting Woodson late in the rounds kinda pissed me off. Even if he was going to be a bust atleast give us the satisfaction of a possible future QB. Atleast he had more potential than most of our late picks.

First day was good. Late second day was D, D-.

[Howling Mad]

The consensus looks to be B-/C+ range.

Angelo is always criticized for his drafts and it takes 2-3-4 years for them to really show up.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

I don't know a damn thing about any of the players picked after round 3. So strictly on rounds 1-3 I give him an B. Good picks, no mistakes imo.

[Posey H8er]

Here's all of the Bears' picks.

1 (14) Chris Williams * OT Vanderbilt
2 (44) Matt Forte * RB Tulane
3 (70) Earl Bennett * WR Vanderbilt
3 (90) Marcus Harrison * DL Arkansas
4 (120) Craig Steltz * DB LSU
5 (142) Zack Bowman * CB Nebraska
5 (158) Kellen Davis * TE Michigan St.
7 (208) Ervin Baldwin * DE Michigan St.
7 (222) Chester Adams G Georgia
7 (243) Joey LaRocque LB Oregon State
7 (247) Kirk Barton * OT Ohio St.
7 (248) Marcus Monk * WR Arkansas

[Chewie]

You really follow enough college ball to make an intelligent distinction on 2nd day picks?

Chris Williams has probowl potential at LT. If he is a success the draft is an A even if every other player we get in the draft never plays a single snap for the team. I think there's a good chance that he's a probowler, so I give us a B based almost soley on that.

I don't know a whole lot about the rest of the guys we drafted, so I'll just wait and see rather than complain. However, I think it's ridiculous when fans complain about needing a <insert position> rather than <insert other position> when you are talking about 4th round and later picks. Probably 70% of the players left in the draft will never be significant NFL players again, you don't worry about position as much as getting a player.

Aw, Doug - that's the fun of the draft. Nobody here saw all the film required to make a TRULY educated grade but we're all capable of seeing where the Bears have needs and we're all capable of looking online at scouting reports by those that do this stuff for a living.

Yeah, you want the best player available but you've got to figure need in there as well. The Bears dig up late round finds all the time. I may not have seen a single Tulane game this year but it's not going to stop me from doing a little research after the pick and making my feelings known. It's the beauty of the draft.

[Chewie]

I'll give it a B+. Would've been an "A" had Angelo focused more on the o-line instead of the d-line. That's a head scratcher for a team that has such a strong need.

The 3rd round Marcus Harrison pick looks the most questionable as I felt Toeaina looked like he could be the backup DT at the end of last year. Is this a sign that Harris/Dvoracek won't be ready?

[NLK]

Actually I understood why Angelo/Lovie went with some Defensive line picks. We couldn't stop the run the last year and about part of 2006 (near the last 25% to 40% of the year). Picking some guys up who could "potentially " clog those gaps, then its all up to the corners, linebackers, and safeties to do their jobs. Keep in mind, we have a RB in our division that chopped up our team like drug money, then stuffed them in a mattress, and set them floating on the lake.

[dougthonus]

I can't believe all the people who say day 1 A, Day 2 (whatever) so it's an average.

This is like if you had a contracting job that paid you 100 thousand dollars and if you came in under budget you got a 50 thousand bonus and then you did it. At the same time you were working on your buddy's basement and for cost of materials and a case of beer and are pissed because it took you an extra week to get that one done.

If you even get one long term player out of your second day you beat the odds. If you like the 1st day picks then be happy with the the draft. The vast, vast majority of second day picks will never do squat in the NFL, and if you think filling a position of need on the second day "fills the need" you're wrong. If you have a need, you'd better fill it in the first day or free agency. Hell, even filling it with a 3rd rounder is dicey, and you better have a back up plan if that doesn't work.

Yeah, you want the best player available but you've got to figure need in there as well. The Bears dig up late round finds all the time. I may not have seen a single Tulane game this year but it's not going to stop me from doing a little research after the pick and making my feelings known. It's the beauty of the draft.

If we needed to fill one offensive line spot and drafted 5 offensive lineman in round 4-7 there is still probably a 75% chance we'd still need to fill that one offensive line spot when the draft was over.

[Chewie]

If we needed to fill one offensive line spot and drafted 5 offensive lineman in round 4-7 there is still probably a 75% chance we'd still need to fill that one offensive line spot when the draft was over.

No doubt the odds decrease as you wind through the latter rounds. But we're all aware of the multiple success stories of late round picks - Richard Dent, Tom Brady, Terrell Davis, Marc Bulger, etc. This is why we're all still watching on Day 2...there's still a chance one of these picks hits it big. Heck, even if one of the Rd4-7 guys hits the field as a mere contributor, I want to know about them.

And I reserve the right to bitch and moan when Marcus Harrison is taken over Oniel Cousins if for no other reason that it makes for some lively board discussion. Sure beats, "I dunno, offensive line looked like a bigger need but I'm sure Angelo knows what he's doing."

[Ruben Douglas]

I gave them a D. Williams was a good pick, but quite possibly the only one. I don't like Forte and Earl Bennett seems like the same receiver we have in Booker. Added depth on defense way too early and neglected the needs at Offensive Line and QB. The guys they did draft on defense are either hurt or have had trouble with the law...with the exception of Steltz.

Not a fan of this draft.