Chicago Bears Mock Draft: Expect The Unexpected

Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

First Round: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

The Bears traded away Brandon Marshall, which sent a lot of good production out the door. Yes, they had their reasons, and there are a lot of people who agreed with the move, and a lot who disagreed with it, but everyone could agree that he was a very productive receiver in Chicago.

It is important that the Bears find a replacement. They signed Eddie Royal, but he is a slot receiver.

Parker can be that replacement. He has the skills to be a number one, and he has the height to tower over a lot of defensive backs.

Yes, there is a lot of talk about Amari Cooper and Kevin White, but I feel Parker is the best option.

Cooper has a tendency to run off route, and he tends to drop more passes than you’d think a receiver of his pedigree would drop. Remember how Marshall got criticized for not running routes correctly? How would that work out with a rookie doing it?

While White has good speed, he does not have the moves to make defenders miss, or to break away from a defender. His speed is straight line speed. Also, he needs to work on his blocking, which was something Marshall was excellent at doing.

The 6-foot-3 Parker has very good hands. He also goes up and fights for the ball like no other receiver I’ve seen in this draft. He runs excellent routes, even being able to disguise his routes. He has the ability to separate from defenders not only with speed but also with his footwork.

Many expected Parker to leave after his junior year along with his teammate Teddy Bridgewater. He stayed, but suffered a foot injury that cost him half the season. When he came back, however, he was dominant, averaging seven catches and about 150 yards per game.

Parker also possesses the attitude you want in a receiver. He is supremely confidant, and had the toughness to go after the ball and is very hard to get down. He also has a nose for the end zone, arriving there once every 4.7 catches at Louisville.

As he progresses in the NFL, he will only get stronger. He is at 210 pounds now, but he has room on his body to fill out more. I will go out on that limb and say DeVante Parker will eventually be an All Pro wide receiver.

Next: Round Two: Maxx Williams