The 2014 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Bears – once again – had plenty of holes to fill. The Bears finished second in the NFC North with an 8-8 and just missed the playoffs for another year. With the twenty-fifth rated team defense last year and an aging roster, the Bears needed the draft to bring fresh legs and an influx of new talent to help propel the team back into the playoffs. Below are the teams picks along with my grades for each player.
Round 1, Pick 14: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech. The best zone corner in the draft. He fit a need for the team with the increasing age of Charles Tillman. A tough, physical corner, Fuller is a sure tackler and capable of playing the run. The corner position was very deep in this year’s draft and the prospects were far from a consensus. With Justin Gilbert off the board, I think this pick made a lot of sense. Fuller is not the flashiest corner, in fact, he may not even be the best corner in this draft. However, I like his ability in the zone, and his ball skills fit very well in the Bears defense. Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 51: Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU. A big reach at this stop. Ferguson is a one-demential 1-technique with good upside, but he has very limited pass rushing skills. He is most effective when asked to stop the run. Ferguson could be a potential bust due to the spot he was taken at and the picks that were available after him (Ealy, Jean-Baptiste, Nix III). However, he does fill a position of need and with some coaching he could turn into a solid pro. Grade: C
Round 3, Pick 82: Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State. Great pick. Sutton had a first round grade at the end of his junior year. Unfortunately, he gained too much weight his senior year, and that drastically altered his game. He is a pass-rushing 3-technique who is very disruptive at the line of scrimmage. He is very comparable to Aaron Donald, who was a first round pick. As long as Sutton can control his weight, he can be a protective player for the team. Grade: A+
Round 4, Pick 117: Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona. Good value pick at this spot in the draft. While not incredibly fast or quick, Carey is more of zone runningback. He is very similar to Ahmad Bradshaw, however he posseses slightly more upside than the Colts runningback. Great production in college, but he needs work on pass blocking which could be easily corrected. Grade A-
Round 4, Pick 131: Brock Vereen, S, Minnesota. A big sleeper pick with high upside. Vereen has great athleticism for the safety position and also possesses good vision and is great in space. He has the skills to be a great center fielder. Most of Vereen’s limitations come from his lack of measurables. Vereen is very light (199lbs) with short arms (30″) and small hands (8 1/4″). His size causes some concerns on his durability and his ability to match up with tight-ends. However, his upside is too high and he could possibly be the best draft pick in this Bears draft class. Grade A-
Round 6, Pick 183: David Fales, QB, San Jose State. Great West-Coast Quarterback with impressive accuracy in the short to intermediate routes. Fales has shown some struggles with the deep ball, has small measurables (6’1″, 212 lbs), and has below average athleticism. His style of play is very similiar to Josh McCown. Fales is a good developmental, back-up quaterback. Grade B+
Round 6, Pick 191: Pat O’Donnell, P, Miami. Huge measurables ( 6’4″, 225lbs), benched 225lbs 23 times, which is more than some 6 tight ends and 21 defensive lineman. O’Donnell possesses a big leg, with a career long punt of 76 yards. He was also a kick-off specialist in college. He must work on his directional kicking and pinning ability. O’Donnell is still a raw prospect, but he has all of the tools. Grade C+
Round 7, Pick 246: Charles Leno Jr., T, Boise State. Good pick to add organizational depth. Leno was a three year starter at Boise State. He has played both tackle spots and has the ability to play guard at the next level. While Leno is a great run blocker, he needs to work on his pass blocking and overall technique. He was a good late round pick with ability to make the roster as a back-up. Grade B-
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