Mock Disappointment for Bears
If the Bears took the path recommended in one mock draft, they'd come away with plenty of disappointed fans on draft day.
On the other hand, a different mock supplied them with a player who could be considered the "peoples' choice" for their biggest need at the moment—although it seems unlikely they would really ever get a chance at this player.
NFL.com conducted its latest mock and it went four rounds. The Bears went through the first three rounds without landing a wide receiver to chase down Justin Fields' passes.
If Ryan Poles thought being frugal in free agency left him a bit unpopular with some Bears fans, try getting through Round 2 and Round 3 of this draft without taking a receiver. Then Poles would understand the meaning of the word unpopular.
The mock landed the Bears a player at a need position, but not one many have seen headed their way. The pick at No. 39 was Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green. They chose to pass on Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith to select Green, a 6-foot-4, 323-pounder who ran the 40 in 5.24 and did 20 bench presses at 225 pounds.
At No. 48, the mock by Chad Reuter had them taking three technique Perrion Winfrey from Oklahoma and west Chicago suburban high school Lake Park. They passed on cornerback Roger McCreary of Auburn and North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson to make this pick.
By the time the Bears selected again in Round 3, all of the qualified receivers had been drafted. They settled for Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields at No. 71 and another receiver wasn't chosen until Wan'Dale Robinson of Kentucky was picked at No. 84.
As disappointing as this draft was, Pro Football Focus' redraft of a mock originally conducted before the Eagles-Saints trade of last week brought the Bears Georgia wide receiver George Pickens. He might be the perfect pick for Fields at this point considering their lack of a bigger wide receiver who can go up top for the ball.
Health has been an issue for Pickens but he produced when he avoided injuries. He had two drops in 139 targets and would be the ideal X-receiver to replace Allen Robinson. Many mocks are drafting him ahead of the 39th pick and it would seem unlikely the Bears will really get a shot at taking him.
With the 48th pick in this two-round mock, PFF selected McCreary for the Bears despite his 28 7/8-inch arms. His ability to play tight press coverage makes it possible he'll be a slot cornerback in the NFL.
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