ESPN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is a look at the Chicago Bears' sixth-round choice (No. 188), defensive end Cornelius Washington out of the University of Georgia.

Washington is listed as an outside linebacker in draft guides. He made 76 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks during his career at Georgia.

Strengths: Numerous outlets projected Washington to be drafted in the third or fourth round. Washington is another athletic hybrid-type player who boasts impressive measurables and athleticism. Flashed extreme speed at the NFL Combine. Described as a powerful player with a great build. Competed at the highest level in the SEC, arguably the top conference in the nation.

Weaknesses: Washington was never a full-time starter with the exception of his final year with the Bulldogs when he started 10 of 14 games. Even with playing time, Washington was kind of hit-or-miss in terms of on-field production. Had an off-the-field incident, a DUI arrest, in 2011. Injured hamstring at Pro Day.

By the numbers: Washington is 6-4, 264 pounds. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Second highest vertical leap (39-inch) and top bench press of all the linebackers at the NFL Combine. Washington tested with the linebackers.

What it means: If Washington can keep it together, he projects to be a valuable contributor on special teams at the onset of his NFL career. There is no shortage of ability here. Washington is Phil Emery’s prototypical “dynamic athlete”, but he needs to prove he can successfully adjust to life in the NFL. Plenty of players with Washington’s talent never make it because they lack the proper focus. It will be interesting to see how Washington competes at defensive end with reserves Turk McBride and Kyle Moore. The Bears haven’t ruled out re-signing Israel Idonije, but with another defensive end now in the mix, the odds of bringing back the veteran seem to be shrinking by the minute.

What’s next: The Bears hold one more pick in the seventh round (No. 236) as a result of their earlier trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears could still stand to gain another cornerback or wide receiver.

Khaseem Greene isn't that big at 6-foot and 241 pounds. He doesn't test particularly fast, having run his 40-yard dash in 4.71 seconds. But Greene was an awfully successful and productive playmaking linebacker at Rutgers and appears to be a particularly inspired choice by the Chicago Bears with the No. 117 overall pick.

Greene set an NCAA record by forcing 15 fumbles in his career at Rutgers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he also led all defensive players from automatic-qualifying schools with 27 "impact tackles" last season. That statistic is defined as "a tackle made for gains of two yards or less that prevented a first down or touchdown."

Overall, Greene appears to be a good fit as a weakside linebacker in the 4-3 defense. That's the position currently manned by Lance Briggs, who will be 33 this fall. It's way too early to start talking about Greene as a possible replacement to one of the Bears' best players of a generation, but it's better to start accumulating options before you're forced into a more desperate situation.

The Bears entered the draft with five overall selections and they've used two of their first three on linebackers. Florida's Jon Bostic, taken in the second round, could end up as their middle linebacker. One day, Greene could start next to him. Regardless, it was past time for the Bears to start addressing the future of this position.

Related: Kevin Weidl of Scouts Inc. was among those lauding this selection: "Khaseem Greene going in the 4th is a steal in my opinion. Finds the ball and consistently manufactures big plays. Love the Rutgers program."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Saturday’s fifth-round choice of Louisiana Tech offensive tackle Jordan Mills is just the latest in a series of moves the Chicago Bears have made to overhaul the offensive line -- clearly the weakest unit on the team last season in the eyes of general manager Phil Emery.

The Bears are set at left tackle with Pro Bowler Jermon Bushrod.

On the right side - it’s a different story.

Veterans J'Marcus Webb and Jonathan Scott are expected to battle it out for the starting right tackle job, but neither is assured of a spot long-term. Webb and Scott are signed through 2013.

Mills is a versatile player who lined up primarily at tackle at Louisiana Tech, but also spent time at guard in 2009. At 6-5, 315 pounds, Mills has the size to play offensive tackle in the NFL, however, the Bears do seem determined to plug in larger bodies inside at guard.

“I’ll play anywhere, left side or right side.” Mills. “I told my coaches I’ll play anywhere they need me. Wherever they need me to win, I’ll be there. Like I told my coaches, if they need me at H-Back to lead block, I’ll do that.”

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Here's a look at the Chicago Bears' fifth-round pick, offensive tackle Jordan Mills of Louisiana Tech.

Mills started every game over his last two seasons at Louisiana Tech, and was named All-WAC first team during his senior season.

Strengths: Beyond his physical gifts, Mills possesses the type of attitude that will endear him to the coaching staff, according to multiple scouting reports. Mills is considered a hard worker in the weight room and in the classroom, and scouts rave about his dedication to the game. With the Bears looking for more athletic offensive linemen, Mills makes for an ideal fit because he possesses the speed to get up to linebackers and the coordination to block efficiently in space.

Weaknesses: Played against inferior competition at Louisiana Tech most of the time. Allows defenders to get into his body on occasion and lacks flexibility, which at this point may be something he can improve upon with refined technique. Has a tendency to lose leverage because he plays too high. Because Mills played in a spread offense in college, Mills will probably take time to adjust to NFL blocking schemes.

By the numbers: Mills is 6-foot-5 and weighs 316 pounds. He ran a 5.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His arms are 34 inches long and his hands measured 9 ¾ inches. To compare, Bears’ first-round pick Kyle Long’s hands measured 11 inches, and his arms were 33 3/8 inches.

What it means: The Bears have fully committed to protecting their most valuable asset on offense: Jay Cutler. For years the Bears seemed to neglect the offensive line, and instead focused on the defense. When the team did use draft picks to select offensive linemen, the players didn’t pan out. So by using this draft to add to more offensive linemen to the three the club acquired in free agency, the Bears give themselves more chances to uncover players who can contribute right away.

Familiar foe: Mills is a cousin of Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, but don’t think for a minute he plans to take it easy on him when the clubs meet twice a year.

“If somebody breaks a long touchdown, even though that’s my cousin and I love him, that’s not gonna be good for him,” Mills said.

Next: The Bears swapped picks with Atlanta in the fifth round, giving the Falcons the 153rd pick in exchange for No. 163. In return, Chicago acquired the Falcons’ 7th-round pick (236). The Bears entered the weekend without a seventh rounder. In the sixth round, the Bears hold the 188th overall pick.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears tacked on even more depth at linebacker in the fourth round Saturday by taking their second consecutive player at the position in Khaseem Greene of Rutgers with the 117th pick overall.

The selection came on the heels of the team taking Florida linebacker Jonathan Bostic on Friday in the second round, and alleviates depth issues for a linebacking corps that had already lacked in that area, even before the departures of future Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach. The Bears picked up D.J. Williams and James Anderson in free agency as starters, but signed them to one-year contracts, and stalwart Lance Briggs, who turns 33 in November, has a deal that runs through 2014.

“I’m just ready to get down there and go to work,” Greene said. “I’m just extremely happy and excited to be in this position to come into such a great organization and be able to compete. As far as coming in and starting, I’m just gonna take it one day at a time. I’m just looking to come in, compete and contribute in any way I can.”

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is a look at the Chicago Bears' fourth-round pick (No. 117), linebacker Khaseem Greene out of Rutgers.

Greene started three years at Rutgers and forced an NCAA all-time record 15 fumbles. He moved to linebacker his junior year after starting at free safety as a sophomore. Greene finished his Scarlet Knights career with 387 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and seven interceptions.

Greene made a pre-draft visit to the Bears.

What he said: “I’m just ready to get down there and go to work. I’m just extremely happy and excited to be in this position and come into such a great organization and compete.”

Strengths: Greene had outstanding on-field production at Rutgers, including the year he spent at free safety (2010) where he was a second-team All-Big East selection. As a linebacker, Greene won 2012 Big-East Defensive Player of the Year honors when he led the Scarlet Knights with 136 tackles. He had 141 tackles the previous year as the conference’s co-Defensive Player of the Year. Considering his prior experience at safety, Greene is viewed by the Bears as a versatile player who can handle multiple linebacker spots if necessary. Greene likely projects to be a quality special teams contributor this upcoming season if he doesn’t earn a starting spot.

Weaknesses: Some analysts believe Greene’s numbers at Rutgers were inflated. He probably needs to bulk up to be a viable choice to fill in on the strong side.

By the numbers: Greene is 6-0, 241 pounds. He ran an average 40-yard dash time of 4.71 at the NFL Combine.

What it means: The Bears definitely got younger at linebacker with the pickups of Greene and second-round pick Jonathan Bostic. If both players develop, the Bears are set up for the future. In a perfect world, the Bears probably wanted to target another interior offensive lineman in the fourth-round, but with the board falling the way it did, Greene figured to be an acceptable choice. Most draft analysts had a second-to-third round grade on Greene, so this could be viewed as a great value pick.

Next: Barring a trade, the Bears will next be on the clock in the fifth round with the 153rd overall selection. Look for the Bears to possibly grab a cornerback next round, or perhaps a wide receiver depending on who comes off the board in the next round of picks.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- With three linebackers flying off the board early on Day 2 -- Manti Te'o (No. 38), Kevin Minter (No. 45) and Kiko Alonso (No. 46) -- the Chicago Bears joined the party at No. 50 and selected University of Florida inside linebacker Jonathan Bostic to complement the offseason additions of veterans D.J. Williams and James Anderson.

Linebacker was a must for the Bears.

Bears general manager Phil Emery needed to find a young linebacker to push Williams and Anderson for starting jobs, while at the same time providing the club with insurance in the event one of the front line guys went down with an injury.

“The reason we like Jon -- he’s a three-position linebacker,” Emery said. “We felt it was very important that if we were going to take a linebacker in the second round, that we get somebody who can immediately fill in at all three spots. If one of our starters was not available due to injury, that he could fill in immediately and we would have a good football player in place right now.

“Obviously he’ll be given the opportunity to earn a starting job. We see him as a future starter.”

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Here's a look at the Chicago Bears' second-round pick, linebacker Jonathan Bostic of the University of Florida.

Bostic started 13 games for the Gators last season at middle linebacker and finished with 68 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

The Bears hosted Bostic for a pre-draft visit.

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- New Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long readily admits his meteoric rise up the draft charts to the 20th overall pick Thursday wouldn’t have been possible without an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

But now that he’s here, the plan is to make the organization and fan base thankful for making the decision, despite limited experience (five games) as a starter at Oregon.

“If it weren’t for the invite to the Senior Bowl that I got the opportunity to play against the elite competition that was there, I’d probably still be waiting around,” Long said.

He’s probably correct. Still, there’s no denying the buzz Long created in the scouting community with a few dominant workouts at the Senior Bowl, despite missing practice time due to a bout with the flu. Long’s performance made already-interested teams want to look deeper.

Of all the teams poking and prodding at Long during the pre-draft process, the Bears, he said, had done the most homework.

Perhaps the work wouldn’t have even been done by the Bears if not for a little persistence last season on Long’s part.

Rotating at offensive tackle with Tyler Johnstone in 2012, Long didn’t make his first start until Nov. 13 at USC. At first, Long was fine with the rotation because Oregon’s uptempo offensive attack produced so many snaps that it allowed him to play 45 to 50 snaps per game. Long felt that was sufficient enough for him to build game film for a shot at the NFL.

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long couldn't be happier to see his son land in Chicago.

"This is to me one of the crown-jewel franchises in football," Howie Long said Friday after his son Kyle, an offensive lineman, was chosen with the Bears’ first pick. "There’s not a lot of them. The town, the history of the organization, the great players who’ve played here, the expectations in the building, it’s important.

“And it doesn’t hurt to have a franchise quarterback, much as that pains me to say.”

(Read full post)

Veteran NFL offensive line coach Tony Wise, who worked with Chicago Bears first-round pick Kyle Long, said Friday he thinks Long should be a starting left tackle in the NFL.

"After having worked with him, if he's coming to the team I'm on, he's going to left tackle immediately," Wise said on "The Carmen & Jurko Show" on ESPN 1000. "There's not many guys that are 6-7 with that kind of reach that can change direction and turn the corner the way this guy can. Now if he can't make it at left tackle, he's going to right tackle immediately after that. He'll have a career at right tackle.

"This guy's an athlete."

Listen to the entire podcast for more thoughts Wise has about Long.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The selection of Oregon offensive guard Kyle Long in the first round of Thursday's NFL draft triggered the collective "Huh?" from observers, making Day 2 of the festivities a tossup in predicting what Bears general manager Phil Emery might do in the second round.

In defending the first-round selection of a prospect with just four starts of FCS experience on his resume, Emery pointed to what the club calls its "A-Score" (athletic index score).

"Jim Arthur, one of our assistant strength coaches does a tremendous job of correlating information and putting all the history of that position together, where they were as athletes started with (former Bears strength and conditioning coach) Rusty (Jones), Bill Polian, it's called our athletic index score or A-Score," Emery said. "This guy is the highest. This guy is (the) number one offensive guard in the last 12 draft classes, and that's as far back as we go. He rates as rare. In our scale, a 9 is rare. He rates as rare."

So perhaps it's too early to judge whether Emery's move was a job well done. But it certainly adds intrigue to Round 2 considering the Bears still need to address needs, but would also like to find a way to add more picks.

The Bears entered the draft tied with Carolina for the league low in draft picks (five). Asked if the club could still find impact players in the second round, Emery said, "definitely."

"There's real depth there, like we talked about as far as the strong positions in the draft, and there will be good depth in areas we're looking at," he said.

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- If a team wants to play it safe in the NFL draft, it's tough to go wrong when it goes big in the first round, which is what the Chicago Bears did Thursday in selecting Oregon offensive guard Kyle Long -- son of the legendary Howie Long -- with the 20th pick.

Still, it's a move worth questioning.

Long was the eighth offensive lineman selected in the first round and is the first guard taken by the franchise in the first round since 1960. Long immediately revs up the competition for the starting job at left guard, and if he ends up starting, the new Bear potentially provides the final ingredient for a near-total makeover on the offensive line.

But given his limited body of work, it's absolutely fair to scrutinize this pick, even with general manager Phil Emery working hard at selling Long immediately after the move as "the type of athlete that we have targeted: a fast, tough, dynamic athlete."

With just four starts of major college football on his dossier, even Long seemed surprised.

"I didn't expect to go this high in the draft," Long said.

Many didn't.

(Read full post)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Here's a look at the Chicago Bears' first-round selection (20th overall), Oregon guard Kyle Long.

Long played in 11 games last season for the Ducks, with four starts, in his lone year of FBS football.

His reaction: "I'm very excited and grateful to be a Chicago Bear," Long said. "I didn't expect to go this high in the draft, and I'm just very excited to join an organization with such a great history and such a great fan base. Not enough can be said about the Chicago Bears organization."

Strengths: Long comes from an excellent football family. His father is Hall of Famer Howie Long and his brother is St. Louis Rams DE Chris Long. Good size. Played for a national championship contender for one season. Tested well at the NFL combine. Long obviously made a solid impression on the Bears during his pre-draft visit. GM Phil Emery said Long's versatility is appealing: "That's part of the reason why we're excited about having him here, is his versatility. He's going to start out at guard. We feel like he can be a starting right tackle. We feel like he can be a good left tackle in this league. So that's part of what attracted us to him."

Weaknesses: Long played only one year at Oregon after beginning his collegiate career as a baseball player at Florida State; then he played football for two seasons at a community college before enrolling at Oregon. Long was drafted by the White Sox in the 23rd round of the 2008 amateur draft. So he doesn't have much football experience. Long had an ankle injury as a senior and also had an off-the-field incident. Scouts downgrade him for his arm length, but that shouldn't be much of a concern on the interior of the offensive line.

By the numbers: Long stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 313 pounds. Ran a 4.94 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Had the lowest body-fat percentage of any offensive lineman at the combine (15.8). "His Senior Bowl was excellent," Emery said. "I thought he was the best offensive lineman on the field at the Senior Bowl."

What it means: Emery said Long will initially line up at left guard and is expected to contribute immediately. Emery noted that Long could also be a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive tackle. The Bears consider Long a "rare" athlete who can step into a leadership role. He will be expected to push James Brown and Matt Slauson for a starting job. The club needed help on the offensive line despite the offseason additions of Slauson and left tackle Jermon Bushrod. With Syracuse OL Justin Pugh coming off the board at No. 19, the Bears clearly felt they needed to address the line, even though Long was the eighth lineman taken in the first 20 picks.

"I wasn't surprised that I ended up getting picked by the Bears," Long said. "I thought I had a great visit with [Bears offensive line coach Aaron] Kromer. I really enjoyed my time in Chicago. I had a great opportunity to sit down and get to know the people in the building. When I walked into O'Hare and was getting ready to fly back home, I had a great feeling about Chicago. Coach Kromer is a great coach, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of trying to earn the respect of my teammates and hopefully be able to help the Chicago Bears."

More reaction:

Welcome to the windy city Kyle Long! Glad to have you #BearDown

— Lance Briggs (@LanceBriggs) April 26, 2013

Next: The Bears are scheduled to pick No. 50 overall in the second round on Friday. Unless they trade the pick, which is possible, the team should still have an opportunity to grab a linebacker, or possibly a cornerback. Prior to the draft, the Bears worked out a significant number of linebackers and cornerbacks who most experts labeled as second- to mid-round picks.

Draft day is here, and the Chicago Bears are hours away from being on the clock with the 20th overall pick in the first round (assuming they don't trade down). Who would our Bears writers take if they were running the war room at Halas Hall?

Michael C. Wright: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

He added three offensive linemen in free agency, including starters Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson, and a pair of starting linebackers in James Anderson and D.J. Williams, while also addressing the rotation along the defensive line.

Now it's time for Bears general manager Phil Emery to bring in a difference maker on offense at one of the skill positions with the 20th pick for quarterback Jay Cutler or for the possibility of a future without him.

If he's there, I'd take West Virginia's Tavon Austin at 20. Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson works too, or perhaps one of the top tight ends in either Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert or Stanford's Zach Ertz, provided the Bears don't trade down. This draft class is deep enough at other positions such as the offensive line (center in particular), linebacker, defensive line and cornerback for the Bears to add an immediate contributor in the later rounds.

With a first-round pick, you want an impactful player for 2013, not one expected to play a key role a year or two down the road (see 2012 first rounder Shea McClellin).

The offensive line appears to be set for the most part, with training-camp competition expected to decide one or two of the other spots. Linebacker is set (even though all the starters' deals are up after 2013, it's important to remember contracts can always be extended). So is the defensive line. More than likely, any addition at these positions just provides depth.

With Cutler going into the final year of his contract, there's no guarantee the team will re-sign him beyond 2013. So by selecting a dynamic skill-position player, the Bears give Cutler a better chance to succeed and earn a lucrative contract extension. If Cutler isn't the quarterback moving forward, the team has at least stocked the offense with enough talent for the next guy to achieve at least a moderate level of success.

Jeff Dickerson: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia

In hindsight, the Bears probably wish they finished 6-10 last season instead of 10-6.

In a draft loaded with offensive talent in the top-15 picks, the Bears sit at No. 20, and probably out of the running the land one of the four tackles or two guards projected to come off the board earlier.

If the Bears were in the top 15, my choice would be easy: Alabama right tackle D.J. Fluker. To steal a phrase from Mike Singletary, "I want winners." But alas, the buzz is that Fluker will be long gone by the time the Bears go on the clock.

If that is indeed the case, the Bears might at the very least consider Syracuse OL Justin Pugh, Oregon OL Kyle Long or Florida State OT Menelik Watson. I believe the Bears view Pugh, whom the club just put through a private workout, as draftable somewhere between 20-50, but it's tough to pinpoint the exact spot. The Bears also took a closer look at Long in recent weeks, and some predict he's a sleeper first-round pick.

But there could be better value at linebacker or cornerback.

Washington's Desmond Trufant would be a worthy first-round choice for the Bears, although a couple of teams might be looking to move up a few spots to grab him. However, the Bears did work out several mid-round cornerbacks, so perhaps the club could wait until later to address the position.

Same with linebacker.

But the dilemma could come down to choosing between Trufant or Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree. I just can't wrap my mind around Manti Te'o at No. 20. Maybe I'll end up being wrong, but at least it'll be an honest swing and miss.

Trufant comes from a football family and seems to have it all together from a maturity and off-the-field standpoint.
Ogletree is a high-end athlete who has had off-the-field issues.

I'll always predict the Bears to select the superior athlete. In this case that's probably Ogletree.

Now, with all that being said, let's hope Emery finds a way to trade the pick.