A busy offseason with more twists than Phil Emery could have predicted leaves the Bears in an interesting position with the NFL Draft less than three weeks away.
Depending on how things shake out, the Bears have signed or re-signed as many as seven starters on defense since a disappointing 8-8 season ended. They overhauled the front by adding ends Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young, and veteran cornerbacks Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman return. Ryan Mundy is the projected starter at strong safety, D.J. Williams has the best shot - for now - of being the middle linebacker and Jeremiah Ratliff could win a starting tackle job.
The draft will put the finishing touches on a rebuilding project for a defense that surrendered 478 points and 6,313 yards in 2013. Emery will seek offensive players with some of his seven draft picks, but the greatest need is impact players for an aging defense.
Free safety remains unsettled. Coach Marc Trestman and Emery have been positive talking about fourth-year pro Chris Conte, but he won’t retain his starting job without facing legitimate competition, and now he could be sidelined until training camp opens after shoulder surgery.
When you consider the possibilities, four positions emerge for the No. 14 pick: safety, defensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback.
There might not be a player who has ever been linked to the Bears in mock drafts more than Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the top projected three-technique. He had an extremely productive college career, and his stock has risen since the Senior Bowl. Some think he could sneak into the top 10. If the Bears don’t pick Donald, the good news is there’s quality depth at the position to consider in later rounds.
Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley could be attractive in the first round as an impact player at a position in flux, with Lance Briggs the only definite starter.
The Bears don’t need a starting cornerback for this year but might in 2015, and this is another position with solid depth in this draft, giving Emery second day options for the second and third rounds.
Sports, Pages 18 on 04/21/2014