Former NFL player/scout Bucky Brooks and Around The NFL's Conor Orr performed a division-by-division assessment of the 2017 NFL Draft, spotlighting notable picks and handing out grades for each team. Below are their takes on the teams that earned "C" grades for their efforts in the draft.
NOTE: Draft classes are grouped by grade and ordered alphabetically.
» Round 1: (No. 2 overall) Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina.
» Round 2: (45) Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland.
» Round 4: (112) Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama; (119) Tarik Cohen, RB, North Carolina A&T.
» Round 5: (147) Jordan Morgan, G, Kutztown (PA).
The Bears entered the draft with huge needs on the defensive side of the ball, but they used three of their five selections on offensive players. Despite signing Mike Glennon as a marquee free agent, the Bears traded away a handful of picks to grab Trubisky with the second overall pick. As discussed above, the inexperienced signal-caller will be expected to lead the franchise out of the doldrums -- a difficult position to be in. Shaheen is a rugged "Y" with the size, speed and strength to dominate the middle of the field as a featured pass catcher. Cohen is a dynamic playmaker capable of delivering explosive plays out of the backfield. Overall, the Bears decided to count on a number of small-school standouts to spark their re-emergence as playoff contenders.
» Round 1: (No. 9 overall) John Ross, WR, Washington.
» Round 2: (48) Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma.
» Round 3: (73) Jordan Willis, OLB, Kansas State.
» Round 4: (116) Carl Lawson, OLB, Auburn; (128) Josh Malone, WR, Tennessee; (138) Ryan Glasgow, DT, Michigan.
» Round 5: (153) Jake Elliott, K, Memphis; (176) J.J. Dielman, C, Utah.
» Round 6: (193) Jordan Evans, LB, Oklahoma; (207) Brandon Wilson, RB, Houston.
» Round 7: (251) Mason Schreck, TE, Buffalo.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said Bengals second-round pick Joe Mixon would have been taken off his board entirely, which seemed to be an opinion shared by at least a handful of RB-needy football teams in this draft. Marvin Lewis has made a living drafting and fostering players that other teams might stay away from, and in a way, that is one of his more admirable qualities. With Mixon, though, it is a pick that elicits a very strong opinion one way or the other at a position where the team already has two entrenched starters. Will it be worth it? Can Mixon add another dimension to the Bengals' offense? I liked many of the picks the team made this time around, but with Ross included, there might be too many boom-or-bust propositions for my taste.
» Round 2: (44) Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama.
» Round 3: (69) Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington; (91) John Johnson, S, Boston College.
» Round 4: (117) Josh Reynolds, WR, Texas A&M; (125) Samson Ebukam, OLB, Eastern Washington.
» Round 6: (189) Tanzel Smart, DT, Tulane; (206) Sam Rogers, FB, Virginia Tech.
» Round 7: (234) Ejuan Price, DE, Pittsburgh.
The Rams wanted to add weapons around their young franchise quarterback, Jared Goff, to help him grow into a playmaker at the position. Everett is a hybrid tight end with size, speed and ball skills. He could play the Jordan Reed role in Sean McVay's offense as a versatile pass catcher on the perimeter. Kupp, a polished route runner with strong hands and superb ball skills, could occupy a big role as a WR3 in the Rams' passing attack. Johnson gives Wade Phillips a dynamic safety with cornerback-like skills. He could be a surprise starter in the secondary as a rookie. Ebukam is an athletic freak with the physical tools to emerge as a rotational player early in his career.
» Round 1: (No. 6 overall) Jamal Adams, S, LSU.
» Round 2: (39) Marcus Maye, S, Florida.
» Round 3: (79) ArDarius Stewart, WR, Alabama.
» Round 4: (141) Chad Hansen, WR, Cal.
» Round 5: (150) Jordan Leggett, TE, Clemson; (181) Dylan Donahue, DL, West Georgia.
» Round 6: (188) Elijah McGuire, RB, Louisiana-Lafayette; (197) Jeremy Clark, CB, Michigan; (204) Derrick Jones, CB, Mississippi.
If the double-safety maneuver works and Todd Bowles forms the base ingredients of a nasty, versatile defense, then this draft could be exceptional. General manager Mike Maccagnan is in a tough spot partially of his own doing. With such a threadbare roster, he was never going to satisfy a fan base convinced it needs an upgrade at nearly every position save for defensive line -- especially if Adams doesn't excel from Day 1. Also: Who is playing wide receiver and tight end for this team in 2017?
