Monday, March 23, 2009

No Logo Needed Mock Draft: 18th Pick

Up next is the third of the Vikings' three NFC North Rivals (that's the problem with winning the division--everybody else gets a better draft pick than you do). Da Bears just missed the playoffs last year, but they haven't been very active in the free agency market, which means they're going to need some quality draft picks in order to take that next step and win the Wild Card (what, you thought I'd say division? Ha!). Drafting on behalf of da Bears are the operators of Blog Down Chicago Bears.

With the 18th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select:

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland


Which one of these underwhelming receivers do Bears fans want the underwhelming Kyle Orton to throw to? Third-year receiver -- as in he has three years of experience playing the position -- Devin Hester? Rashied Davis? Earl Bennett? Brandon Rideau?

Exactly.

The Bears passed on T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Laveranues Coles, aren't calling the Cardinals about Anquan Boldin, and seem poised to give recently-released Torry Holt the same cold shoulder treatment.

Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey has seen his stock go through the roof after an eye-popping performance at the NFL Combine, including running a 4.30 40-yard dash, the fastest of all receivers. But he isn't just all speed, he has the height too -- 6'2, 210 -- to make him an imposing threat to secondaries everywhere.

All-in-all, Heyward-Bey probably has higher upside than any receiver in the draft, but I know he lacks experience and big-time production. If he denies the urge to go all Troy Williamson, he could finally be -- take a deep breath -- the No. 1 receiver the Bears have been looking for since the beginning of time.

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