Thoughts On The '09 Draft

Hey all -

After taking a little time to digest the weekend's proceedings, I have some thoughts on how the Bears performed in the 2009 NFL Draft.

First, I can't imagine there are many Bear fans out there who were too upset about not having a first-day pick. Funny how the acquisition of an established quarterback can do that. What obviously proved most interesting is what transpired on Sunday. Apparently the Bears had targeted Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie with their first pick, the 49th overall. When the Cleveland Browns selected Robiskie at #36, the Bears then sought to trade the pick down. This tells me the Bears weren't as high on Georgia wideout Mohamed Massaquoi as many thought. The Browns ended up taking him, too - at pick #50. The Bears did end up trading down and picked San Jose State defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert. Mel Kiper Jr. and others were surprised Gilbert was available where the Bears selected him (#68). This appeared to be a trend, as the Bears' subsequent picks were thought of to be 'value' picks. General consensus is that the pick most likely to make an immediate impact on Sundays will be Oklahoma wideout Juaquin Iglesias. Having watched a number of Big 12 games, I am inclined to believe this. Iglesias has good hands and runs routes well. He also has size - one aspect the Bears' receiving corps is lacking. Playing against top-flight college competition also helps. Other picks included Vanderbilt CB D.J. Moore (watch out, Vash), Abilene Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox (who ran the third-fastest time among wideouts at the Combine), Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman, Texas defensive end Henry Melton, Oregon State safety Al Afalava, San Diego State tight end Lance Louis, and Pittsburgh wideout Derek Kinder.

Two interesting things about these picks: despite the Bears' reputation for purging those of questionable character, two picks - Melton and Afalava - had past scrapes with the law. The Bears are apparently satisfied that these issues were anomalies... let's hope so. The other thing I find interesting is the choice of Louis at pick #246 when options like Texas' Quan Cosby and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell were available. The position of tight end was relatively low on the Bears' list of needs - it makes one wonder if Desmond Clark's days as a Bear are numbered. This will be very interesting to watch when the Bears open training camp in Bourbonnais on July 31.

Overall, I would grade this draft a solid 'B'. It appears the Bears got a lot of value in one days' work. While several of the picks may not contribute immediately, it looks as though the talent is abundant enough to work into the system for the next few years. I'd love to read your thoughts. BEAR DOWN!!!