Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Post NFL Combine and free agency

Jamal Adams, S, LSU (6-foot-0, 214 pounds)

This was a tough choice to make. I don’t envy Pace and the Chicago Bears front office. This is one of the biggest drafts in their career and one of the most defining moments in franchise history.

This is one of those snapshot moments I think. I flipped between Jonathan Allen (safest pick), Deshaun Watson (a future star who’ll have a chip on his shoulder), and Adams (special talent). The Bears’ best move here is to trade down. Picking Watson at three is a supposed risk. Scouts have him as a second-round pick but acknowledge someone will reach for him. I think the Bears like him, but want him lower. The Bears just aren’t a team that takes risks, and if they do and it doesn’t work out, things around Halas Hall get tense (look at what happened with the Ray McDonald fiasco).

If the Bears keep the number three pick, they should take Adams. Allen is presumably the smart pick, but with arthritis on his shoulders, that is an iffy situation.

Adams is a special player. As soon as he takes the field, the front office, his teammates, and the fans will see that. There are questions about the locker room but Adams will help with that from day one. This is a player who checks all the boxes. He has the body and he has the talent. His leadership skills just complete the picture.

The Bears are on an endless search for safeties, but with Adams, they have one who will man that position for a decade. Picking Jamal Adams at number three will be one of the best decisions the Chicago Bears can make.