Bear Down: Recapping The Bear's 2010 Draft

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 26, 2010 3:20PM

While the NFL draft's new three day format meant that the Bears sat at home for the first night, they finally got to join the action well into Friday night when they made their first selection during the draft's third round. Four more picks came during Saturday's final session. By the time the league was done allocating it new players, the Bears had added five to their roster and Bears personnel were pleased with their ability to find value and fill the team's needs given their lack of early round picks:

3rd Round: Major Wright - S, Florida
4th Round: Corey Wootton - DE, Northwestern
5th Round: Josh Moore - CB, Kansas State
6th Round: Dan LeFevour - QB, Central Michigan
7th Round: J'marcus Webb - OT, West Texas A&M

Given their roster weaknesses, it was no surprise that the Bears went with a safety with their first pick. Wright started 33 games during his time at Florida. Athletic and tough, Wright could compete with Craig Steltz and Danieal Manning for a starting spot or find a place on special teams. With their second pick, the Bears grabbed Northwestern's Wootten, who might have gone in the first or second round had he not injured his ACL during the 2008 Alamo Bowl. While he returned to the field in '09, he was unable to gain his pre-injury speed and that hurt his draft stock. Should he fully recover, the Bears may have found a steal of a pick. In the fifth round, the Bears again addressed deficiencies in their secondary with Moore, who was Kansas State's leading tackler. LaFevour was two time MAC Offensive Player of the Year while at Central Michigan, but does he possess what's needed to be an NFL QB? And can he beat out Caleb Hanie and Brett Basanez to even make the roster? We're not so sure. Only in the final round did the Bears address their needs on the offensive line. But by taking a project out of a tiny Division II school, do they really expect him to help shore up the line anytime soon?

The 2010 season is a make or break time for both head coach Lovie Smith and GM Jerry Angelo. They were extremely agressive in free agency, which they almost had to be given their lack of high draft picks. Will those additions plus this weekend's new rookie class help return the Bears to they playoffs? At least a few jobs depend on doing so.