NFL Draft 2011 Results: Chicago Bears off to Good Start with Gabe Carimi
Published by Thad Novak on April 29, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
With the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft in the books, the Chicago Bears should be feeling good about how it’s started. Not only did they address their most pressing need, but they did so with a player better than any they’d expected to find available.
Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi dropping as low as No. 29 overall was not something anyone, including the Bears, would’ve predicted. He’s a 6’7” mauler of a tackle, and he’s especially dangerous as a run blocker thanks to his experience in the Badgers’ run-heavy offense.
Carimi has a good chance to jump into a starting role with the Bears, and he should be up to the challenge. One appealing possibility would have J’Marcus Webb moving to left tackle, Carimi taking the right tackle spot and Frank Omiyale moving back to his natural position at guard.
As far as the Round 1 results for the rest of the division, the Bears can’t be excited about Nick Fairley joining Ndamukong Suh on the Lions’ defensive line. Detroit still has its weaknesses, but they’ll be awfully tough to run on for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota adding Christian Ponder could turn out to be an issue down the road, but he’s not likely to set the world on fire in the next couple of seasons. As for Green Bay, Derek Sherrod is a fine player but isn’t going to change the complexion of that team any.
The biggest concern for Chicago from last night, though, has to be the possibility of matching up with the Falcons if the Bears get back in the playoffs. The addition of Julio Jones gives Atlanta arguably the best offense in the NFC, and one of the best in football.
The Bears’ road to the Super Bowl appears to go through Atlanta now, and the secondary will have to play better than it did last season if Chicago wants to come out on top in that matchup.
Heading into the second day of the draft, Chicago has some flexibility. With Carimi on board, offensive line becomes a secondary issue (though it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Bears added another blocker somewhere before the draft is done).
Expect defensive tackle and wide receiver to get some attention, particularly if any of the bigger wideouts like Miami’s Leonard Hankerson are still available for the Bears’ second-round pick. Chicago also appears to be optimistic about North Carolina DT Marvin Austin and his ability to rebound from a year-long suspension, so Austin could also be the choice in Round 2.
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