NEWSLETTER
After bolstering their defensive line’s interior last night, the Bears look to get as much talent as possible today as the 2014 NFL Draft concludes. The Bears have the following picks today, barring any wheeling and dealing:
Round 4: 17 (117 overall)
Round 5: 16 (156 overall)
Round 6: 7 (183 overall; the Bears received this pick from Tampa Bay in exchange for Gabe Carimi)
Round 6: 15 (191 overall)
The Bears traded their seventh round selection to Dallas for TE Dante Rosario last offseason.
This is an important day; if teams can find value in these rounds, it gets a lot easier to build a successful team. I think you might even see an offensive player or two taken today by the Bears, but in general they’ll stick to their board.
I’ll update as I can throughout the day.
Update #1:
The Bears took Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey with their 4th round selection. Carey was extremely productive in college, is apparently a good receiver out of the backfield, and a more than capable blocker. All the things a running back needs to succeed in Marc Trestman’s offense. He fell to the fourth round due to a few factors: the general devaluation of the running back position, his 4.7 40-yard dash time, and some character concerns. Given the lack of depth behind Matt Forte, I’d guess Carey slots in right away as his backup.
Update #2:
The Bears traded back into the fourth round to take Minnesota safety Brock Vereen. Vereen was a converted corner, and he comes with some positive reviews. He’s only 6 feet tall, and every capsule I’ve found makes sure to mention his short arms. Other than that, it seems like he’s a solid prospect, with the ability to compete for a starting job from day one. I rated safety as the Bears biggest need, and the fact that the Bears traded up to take him makes me think he was the last safety on a particular tier the Bears were targeting.
As for the trade itself, it’s not too bad; the Bears traded fifth round choices in 2014 and 2015 for Denver’s 2014 fourth (used to take Vereen) and a 2014 seventh rounder (the Bears did not have a seventh until the trade, as noted above.) This leaves the Bears with two sixth round picks, and one seventh; it wouldn’t stun me to see the Bears move up into the fifth using that combo of sixth round picks; that depends on players available, of course.
Linebacker, punter, and wide receiver would be my guesses if the Bears try to fill needs; but at this point in the draft it’s more about taking the best talent available.
