Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Full seven rounds

Allen’s medical status concerns a growing number of people. He’s had two surgeries on his shoulder (and some speculate he had another one not announced). The shoulder did not seem to bother him during the season, as he recorded 69 tackles (16 for loss) and 10.5 sacks. He also defended 2 passes as well. Allen has a nose for the ball, having recovered 3 fumbles.

Of course, Pace and the team doctors will do their due diligence on Allen. They’ll comb through the medical reports and make sure he has a clean bill of health. After suffering through two injury-riddled seasons with former first round pick Kevin White, the team cannot have that happen again. Allen’s talent makes it very difficult to pass up, and only a negative medical report will keep them from drafting Allen.

The Chicago Bears need some solid players in the secondary. No need to go for the flash. Flash eventually wear out. Jones is a solid cornerback who helped his team make it to the College Football Playoffs. He thrived even in a pass-happy PAC-12. He has the length and quickness to stay with any receiver. In 2016, teams decided to avoid throwing Jones’ way. That included the Alabama Crimson Tide. They knew the best way to beat the defense is to not throw Jones’ way. Jones isn’t a big tackler, but he uses great technique. He wraps well, and he won’t miss many tackles.

I have to admit that I like Kaaya. I’ve seen all of his games. I view him in the same light as I did Dak Prescott a year ago. There are some quarterbacks with bigger arms or better movement, but Kaaya has all the necessary tools to do well in the pros. He has a pretty good football IQ. He knows where to put the ball, and he can make any throw. He can make the throw downfield with good touch, and he can hit the throw over the middle. Kaaya is the prototypical pocket passer. He won’t look to run, but he can slide and buy some time. At Miami, he had trouble with his offensive line, but he improved all his statistics every season. He also spent his last year under Mark RIcht’s pro-style offense. Kaaya won’t start right away, and that could be fine with the Bears.

The Bears needed to get rid of Martellus Bennett, I understand that. He was still a talented tight end and his exit created a huge hole at tight end. No disrespect to Zach Miller, but he isn’t a player a team should look at as a number one tight end. His history of injury trouble came to the forefront once more, and the Chicago Bears offense suffered without a big target, especially one that could help in the red zone.

Leggett is as tall as Bennett, but he’ll need to bulk up a bit, He is at 240, while Bennett is at 275. An offseason or more with a professional training regimen and he’ll get that bulk. He had an up and down first two seasons, playing in just 16 games total and making 26 catches for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns. He broke out in his junior season, playing 15 games, and making 40 catches for 525 yards and 8 touchdowns. He followed that up with another strong effort in his senior season, making 46 catches for 736 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Leggett is a big, athletic tight end. Continuing the theme of versatility, he can line up anywhere — slot, outside, inside, line, and even fullback. He also has excellent speed for his size. Once he gets the ball, he really becomes dangerous. He is bigger and faster than linebackers or safeties. Whoever leads the offense at quarterback next season would love to have a target like Leggett.

With the plethora of defensive backs (and some good receivers) available in the draft, tight ends may get overlooked. If Leggett is available here, the Bears need to snatch him up.

I’ve written about the NFL being a league of versatility now. It is going away from the specialist on defense or offense. With offenses going more up-tempo, defenses need to have personnel who can play multiple positions. One of the new hybrid positions is the “Star” position, a safety-linebacker combination. Harvey-Clemons fits that bill. At Louisville, he not only played safety and linebacker, he even played cornerback.

At 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, he has great size. He also possesses impressive speed for a big guy. He can play the last line of defense, play the edge and rush, and cover tight ends in the slot. He is a great open-field tackler, using great technique to wrap the ball carrier’s legs and stop him.

Harvey-Clemons originally played for Georgia, teaming with another versatile player and Chicago Bear Leonard Floyd. He had trouble with marijuana and found himself off the team. He got another chance at Louisville and made the most of it. He’s been trouble-free for two years now. Teams will still take a long look at him during interviews at the Combine.

I went back-and-forth on this one. I debated between Magnuson and Chad Wheeler. Ultimately, Wheeler had too many off-field troubles for the Bears to trust him. Magnuson was part of an impressive Michigan line. The entire line earned Big Ten Conference honors. They allowed just 18 sacks. The line helped Michigan gain 387 yards per game (234.3 passing and 152.7 rushing).

Magnuson played tight end as well in Michigan, so he has the quickness to mirror edge rushers. He stays low off the snap, and uses his hands well. He controls rushers with his power and quickness. Michigan had Magnuson as a left tackle, but he struggled a bit there. He moved over to the right side, and he fit like a glove. I believe the Bears will go after left side help through free agency, and while many want Cam Robinson, his checkered past will turn off the Bears.

With all the attention on Jake Butt, Jabrill Pepper, Jourdan Lewis, Jehu Chesson, and Chris Wormley, Magnuson doesn’t get talked about as much. Whoever gets him, however, will get a steal with this player.

The Bears go for more offensive line help here. You can never have enough linemen to help an offense. Pyke impressed helping the Bulldogs’ running game. He won Georgia’s Most Improved Offensive Player award not once, but twice. He has the advantage of playing most of his time in Mark RIcht’s pro-style offense.

Pyke has great leg strength which helps him drive defensive linemen back. He shows good football IQ, using good angles on run blocks, and regularly takes on multiple blocks on plays. He has good quickness on pass plays, getting on top of defenders and has a good initial punch. His agility against linebackers, however. is suspect. He would make a good rotation player on the next level.