Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on February 17, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

While it may not appear as if the Bears are going to need a lot of help on the defensive line this offseason, if they decide to let defensive tackle Tommie Harris leave then they will indeed need it.  They could not only use some depth at the position if Harris does leave but have someone come in and provide them with some starting ability.  Any upgrades that they make on the defensive line would certainly help the team out a lot.

It’s difficult to say where the Bears may choose to take a defensive tackle in the 2011 NFL Draft, but you can bet that they are going to be looking for one.  It’s Jerry Angelo’s nature to draft defense (over offense in most cases) and knowing that defensive tackle is a need you could expect them to draft a defensive tackle somewhere from the first to the fourth round of the upcoming draft.

That, despite their needs on the offensive line and at wide receiver.

Let’s take a look at five guys that should interest the Bears heading into the 2011 NFL Draft.  These players are currently graded at being second to fourth round prospects prior to the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.

Christian Ballard, DE University of Iowa

Ballard had a very impressive Senior Bowl and may stick out enough for the Bears to take some interest in him prior to the draft.  Ballard has the size that the Bears would want for the defensive tackle position (he’s 6’4” and weighs 288 pounds), although he could stand to add a little weight.  In terms of his abilities, Ballard can play both end and tackle and has the speed to get up the field in a hurry.  He can rush the passer well and has a good repertoire of pass rushing moves.

Looking at the other side of the coin, Ballard didn’t play consistently while he was in college and does struggle against bigger offensive linemen.  He needs to work on getting anchored better on the line and tackling with his body and not his arms.

Ballard may be a better fit at defensive end in some schemes and, in order for him to be a success in a system like the Bears’, may need to add a little more weight without sacrificing speed.  Still, if you look at a guy like Henry Melton (260 pounds), Ballard could be a good fit with the defense on the interior of the line.

Look for Ballard to go somewhere in the late second to early fourth round and quite possibly be an interest to the Bears.

Corey Liuget, DT University of Illinois

There are several mock drafts that have the Bears taking Liuget with their first pick in the draft.  Liuget is well known for making many plays in the opponent’s backfield and knows how to move through blockers to get behind the line of scrimmage.  He can move up and down the line of scrimmage well and is very athletic for a defensive lineman.  He has a lot of strength and is a high-motor player.

What he lacks is the experience after having been just a one-year starter at Illinois.  There are also some mechanical things that he needs work on and struggles at times with technique.  There would be a pretty sizeable learning curve for Liuget and he may not be that NFL ready.

The Bears could use someone with Liuegt’s athletic prowess at the defensive tackle position, but do they want to spend the time coaching him up and preparing him when he needs to be fully capable of starting and contributing right away?  Still, he is an interesting prospect and one that the Bears might want to take a look at heading up to the draft.

Muhammad Wilkerson, DE/DT University of Maryland

Wilkerson isn’t well-known just yet, but as the combine moves ahead and teams work him out more he should be mentioned as one of the top defensive linemen in the nation.  Wilkerson can play both the defensive end and defensive tackle positions (the Bears would probably keep him at tackle) and is a good pass rusher at either position.  He is quick off of the line, has great hands and gets good leverage.  His technique is sound and he has enough speed and ability to get into the backfield on a regular basis.

What Wilkerson lacks is some standard pass rushing moves and this might get him “stonewalled” against some offensive linemen.  He needs to sink his hips lower and get better leverage at times (when pushing his way through the offensive lineman) as well.  Another thing that the Bears may be concerned about is the competition that he faced in college (or the lack thereof) as he played at Temple.

Wilkerson should be another intriguing prospect that the Bears take some interest in heading into the NFL Draft.  Where Wilkerson goes will depend on what he does in the combine and what he can do in his workouts, but right now he is discussed as late first round talent.  The Bears have a pick at No. 30 so Wilkerson may be someone that they take a look at and have some interest drafting to help improve their defensive line.

Drake Nevis, DT LSU

Someone that you may not know that well just yet (and someone that the Bears just might be interested in) is LSU’s Nevis.  Nevis plays hard all of time and always plays with a lot of intensity.  He’s very strong and has a bit of a nasty streak, which is something that could serve the Bears’ defense very well.  He can also make plays in the backfield.

The downside to Nevis is that he may not have the ideal size for a defensive tackle, but he might have decent enough size to excel in the Bears’ system.  He also struggles breaking free from blockers at times and can get pushed around (washed out) on sweeps and pulls.

Nevis should end up down the list of possible candidates that the Bears could be interested in at defensive tackle.  He’s a tough player and one that might fit well in the Bears’ system so he might be someone that they are interested in.

Jarvis Jenkins DE/DT Clemson University

Finally, there is Jenkins, a player slotted to go somewhere in the middle of the second to early third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and may be someone who interests the Bears in the second round.  He brings a lot of athleticism and explosive play to the position.  He is strong, gets a good strong rush up the field and has a repertoire of moves that NFL scouts should like.  He’s good against the pass especially and has the size to keep the middle clogged up and difficult to run into.

There are times when he doesn’t get low enough and opposing offensive linemen can get under his pads and push him around.  He can also “run out of gas” at times and needs to be relieved every now and then (although the Bears do have a rotation on the line).  He can blow past the pocket at times and needs to work harder at play recognition.

Jenkins may be interesting to the Bears because they could get him in the second round of the draft and he might be the better fit for their defense.  Once again, he could be of some interest for the Bears and could be drafted at a place that could give them a shot to grab an offensive lineman in the first round (a much bigger need).

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com