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http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=5786

 

 

April 27, 2009

Bears earn high marks for draft effort

By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 4/27/2009 5:30 PM

 

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears generally were awarded high marks for their performance in this past weekend's NFL Draft, earning two As, five Bs and two Cs from the following national writers and broadcasters:

 

In giving the Bears a B, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. labeled third-round pick Jarron Gilbert the biggest steal of the draft and wrote that “wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias was a good pick, as were cornerback D.J. Moore and wide receiver Johnny Knox. Seventh-round pick Derek Kinder could turn out to be quite a sleeper if he's able to return to his strong level of play before his injury a couple of years ago.”

 

ESPN’s Todd McShay called Moore the Bears’ best pick and Iglesias the worst. Wrote McShay: "The Bears' biggest need was finding weapons for new QB Jay Cutler, and they failed to accomplish that goal. Iglesias is, at best, a possession No. 3 receiver and Johnny Knox will probably max out as a receiver in sub packages who would contribute on special teams. On the positive side, the Bears hit homers on DT Jarron Gilbert and Moore."

 

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports gave the Bears a B. He wrote: “The lack of a pick in the first two rounds hurts a nice-sized class, and Iglesias isn’t going to solve the wide receiver issues. However, Gilbert could blossom into a good pass rusher from the tackle spot, and the fact that the first-round pick was traded in a deal for quarterback Jay Cutler is factored in.”

 

USA Today’s Larry Weisman gave the Bears a B-, writing: “Count QB Jay Cutler in this equation; [he] cost Bears their No. 1 and more. Grade goes up if he performs. Bears had real needs in the pass-rush area after no player had more than six sacks last year. DE Jarron Gilbert has size and quickness and was a nice grab in the third round. Grabbed another DE in fourth round and a CB as well. Bears knew where their holes were and tried to fill. No real O-line help and could have interior issues.”

 

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com gave the Bears an A. “They get that if you count Cutler, which I do,” he wrote. Prisco called the Cutler deal “the move of the year.” He also questioned the decision to trade out of the second round but added: "I love third-round pick Juaquin Iglesias. He will be a factor as a slot receiver for Cutler.”

 

Clifton Brown of The Sporting News awarded the Bears an A and wrote: “Trading for Jay Cutler before the draft was factored into this grade. But they also added talent without having a first-round pick. Defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert could develop into a solid run-stopper, and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias is a possession receiver for Cutler to try and build chemistry.”

 

John Czarnecki of FoxSports.com gave the Bears a B- and wrote that “Juaquin Iglesais was a solid pickup with the 99th overall selection. Some teams rated him in the second round. Vanderbilt cornerback D.J. Moore is a very tough player despite his 5-9 frame. But the steal for the Bears could be San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert, who was known for his You Tube video of being able to jump out of a swimming pool.”

 

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News gave the Bears a C, writing: “The Bears had the best third round of this draft. Gilbert and Iglesias were second-round values who slid into the third. The Bears got a late start – their first pick was 68th overall – but they finished strong.”

 

Mark Maske of the Washington Post awarded the Bears a C+ and wrote that the “Bears gave up plenty in their recent trade for QB Jay Cutler, perhaps a bit too much, and didn’t pick until the third round. Their top selection, DT Jarron Gilbert, could be an impact player.”

 

NBCSports.com gave the Bears a B+, writing: “The Bears traded their first-round pick for Jay Cutler and moved out of round two after Cleveland took Brian Robiskie. GM Jerry Angelo went on a tear with his next four picks, landing four straight dynamic talents. DT Jarron Gilbert was easily the best player drafted on day two and WR Juaquin Iglesias is a pro-ready route runner. RB-turned-DE Henry Melton possesses rare athleticism and upside. CB D.J. Moore's lack of elite speed is less of a problem in Chicago's Cover-2 defense. The Bears won't count on much from late-rounders Derek Kinder, Al Afalava, or Lance Louis, but Ohio State LB Marcus Freeman is the perfect backup for Lance Briggs and WR Johnny Knox has speed to burn.”

 

Clark Judge of CBSSports.com listed Bears GM Jerry Angelo among the 10 biggest winners in the draft, writing: “He took the first day off after trading away a second-round choice, but he went back to work Sunday and produced results. Getting defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert at the top of the third round was a steal. Getting Joaquin Iglesias at the bottom was another bargain. But maybe his best move was acquiring defensive end Henry Melton in the fourth round. A former running back, he was one of the few defensive ends in this draft with size and speed.”

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