Mike Mayock 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears Select…
Who do the Chicago Bears land in Mike Mayock’s 2017 NFL Mock Draft?
The Chicago Bears have an extremely important decision coming up. They hold the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and have a ton of choices. Will the Bears opt for a franchise quarterback of the future or will they draft an immediate impact defender? Could a major surprise be on the horizon? We are officially less than 24 hours away from finding out.
Before we enter the frenzy that is draft night, let’s take a look at the most important mock draft of any draft season. Everybody who writes about football puts together mock drafts. Everybody loves them as the speculation is always exciting to follow. However, Mike Mayock‘s mock draft is the one that you always have to look out for.
Mayock always released his one and only mock draft the night before the first round and this year’s version has officially hit the masses. Mayock is as plugged in as it gets in the industry and always seem to have a knack for putting players in the right spot.
The Chicago Bears select….
His mock draft was released on NFL.com on Wednesday night. For our purposes, we are obviously most interested in the third overall pick. There Mayock places Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Chicago Bears.
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I have pounded the table for the Bears to take Deshaun Watson with the third overall pick for months. I see Watson as a true franchise signal caller who could lead the Bears to the promise land. That being said, Lattimore would not be a bad consolation prize.
A fast and athletic cornerback who shows incredible natural coverage skill, Lattimore is a shutdown cornerback in the making. Make no mistake about it, this guy is an elite cover corner who would immediately make the Bears’ defense much better.
Adding Lattimore to the mix would give the Bears a true number one cornerback to build their secondary around. They already have a strong defensive front seven and Lattimore would help take pressure off of the rest of the secondary. It is easy to see how this would be a strong fit.
That being said, Lattimore has a long history with hamstring issues. He actually had surgery on his hamstrings early in his college career and was only a full-time starter at Ohio State for one season. Lattimore is a freak athlete who has ridiculous upside at an important position, but the injury risk here is real.
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This selection is far from being guaranteed, but if Mayock is thinking the Chicago Bears will end up with Marshon Lattimore, we should take notice. There would certainly be plenty to like about this selection, but there would be some real downside as well.