Bear Digest

The Surprise Bears Second Pick Who Is Gaining Momentum

Two mock drafts have elevated defensive tackle as a need and found one for the Bears with their second pick in the draft.

Gene Chamberlain

Byron Murphy II is the second first-round choice for the Bears in two mock drafts, including one by NFL scouts.
Byron Murphy II is the second first-round choice for the Bears in two mock drafts, including one by NFL scouts. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
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The emphasis on receiver or edge rusher for the Bears at No. 9 in mock drafts has been interrupted by the occasional offensive tackle.

Peter Schrager's NFL.com mock this week of JC Latham to the Bears after a trade down to No. 15 was a curious example both because of the player, and then because it was outright silly when you realized they traded out of the spot with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers available at No. 9. Even if the Bears had to have a defensive player at all costs, they wouldn't pass on Nabers.

However, two recent mocks have produced a surprise position and definitely one the Bears could use.

One mock draft is the seven-rounder by Marcus Mosher for The33rdteam.com, while the other is a short, 10-pick mock draft done for ESPN by a team of unidentified NFL scouts.

Both came up with the same name, a defensive tackle. Byron Murphy II from Texas would be the second Bears pick in Round 1. The ESPN article said it would be at No. 9 and Mosher's at No. 13 after a trade down.

The ESPN scouts' selection of Murphy came after Caleb Williams at No. 1 and none of the top three receivers were available at No. 9.

Of Williams, one scout said: "Caleb is the most likely player in this class to become a Hall of Famer. That's the dude I want."

The Bears would be satisfied with that, no doubt, but they're also hoping for the best possible use of No. 9. Defense wouldn't be a bad way to go if the top receivers are gone.

This could very well happen for the Bears as many projections have Dallas Turner the only defensive player coming off the board before No. 8 with Atlanta. In this mock, though, the Falcons' defensive player chosen at No. 8 was cornerback Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo.

So the Bears took Murphy and their pick was made by an AFC area scout.

"Murphy is a legitimate game-changer who is just scratching the surface of his talent," the scout wrote, before adding the inevitable. "We can't believe he's still available."

No one says Montez Sweat's pass rush counter must be an edge rusher. The Bears need a 3-technique to make this scheme operate well.

"And look at how much interior defensive tackles are getting paid today? Murphy is a huge value on a rookie contract," the scout added.

The value would be true whether they opted for an edge or a 3-technique or any other position for that matter.

Noting how the Bears spent a second-rounder last year for defensive tackles Gervon Dexter Jr. and third-rounder for Zaach Pickens without immediate production from either, the scout saw this as an ideal answer to a problem.

"Murphy is the perfect 3-tech for Matt Eberflus, and it's the one position the Bears haven't figured out on defense," he said.

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller wrote the article with the comments of the scouts and admitted to being surprised by the Bears taking Murphy because the Texas defensive tackle hadn't been mentioned in many top 10s for mock drafts.

He didn't go top 10 in Mosher's, as the trade down came for the Bears at No. 9 with the Raiders. They then selected Murphy.

"The Bears miss out on the top three receivers at No. 9, making a trade-down much more palatable," Mosher wrote. "They pivot to defense at No. 13, taking arguably the best defensive player in the class. Byron Murphy is an incredible athlete who should be a disruptive player immediately."

Best defensive player in the class is a high and unexpected compliment considering how Dallas Turner often receives this label in other mocks. Yet, there is no doubt without Justin Jones at defensive tackle and with DeMarcus Walker available at defensive end, the Bears could have a far more complete defensive front with Murphy playing 3-technique.

Someone would then need to break the news to Pickens and Dexter that they'd been replaced as heir apparents to Jones' job.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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