As predicted, NFL experts can't agree on Bears' pick

Trying to figure out what the Bears will do with the 29th pick in the draft on April 28 is a crapshoot for a number of reasons, but there are plenty of prognosticators willing to toss the dice.

The possibilities are infinite. No one knows who the first 28 picks will be, and the Bears have a few areas of need. This year it's even more difficult because, unlike other years, there probably won't be a free-agency period preceding the draft due to the work stoppage. Free agency usually begins early in March, and teams can start to shore up areas of weakness then. For now, the only help available is through the draft.

A sampling of selections from cyberspace reveals somewhat of a consensus but a variety of opinions on whom the Bears will select.

Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki has the Bears taking Miami offensive lineman Orlando Franklin with their first-round pick.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Franklin was a three-year starter for the Hurricanes, and he played the all-important left tackle spot as a senior, after previously starting at guard.

At ProFootballWeekly.com, Nawrocki explained his pick, thusly: “Although G.M. Jerry Angelo might prefer to find a replacement for Tommie Harris with this pick, the board could be more favorably filled with OL talent. Franklin could be the most physical blocker in this year's draft and perfectly fits the nasty disposition that OL coach Mike Tice seeks in the trenches.”

Rob Rang at NFLDraftScout.com has the Bears selecting Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget, filling another position that has become thin.

“Liuget has the talent to warrant consideration in the top 20, but could see a slip on draft day through no fault of his own,” Rang says. “The 6-2, 298-pounder is a classic three-technique defensive tackle for the 4-3 alignment, and with only half of the teams operating out of this scheme, he could take a tumble as clubs focus on bigger needs. His strength, surprising quickness and low center of gravity could make him an ideal fit for the Bears, especially with Chicago's recent release of Tommie Harris.”

It's expected that if the Bears don't take an offensive lineman in the first round, they'll go with a defensive tackle.

ESPN.com's Mel Kiper has the Bears talking Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder in his latest mock draft, dated March 9.

“Chicago should be thrilled if Solder is available here,” Kiper said. “He has added bulk to a 6-foot-8 frame, making him a guy who could help in a run game that really fell off in 2010. All the questions about his toughness aside, Chicago let Jay Cutler take far too many hits over the last two seasons, and Mike Martz isn't reluctant to run the ball if he has an offensive line he can run behind with consistency.”

It's doubtful that Solder will be available that late in the draft, but it would be great for the Bears. It should be pointed out, however, that the Bears' run game really DIDN'T fall off in 2010. As a team, the Bears' average gain per carry slipped a tiny bit from 4.0 in 2009 to 3.9 last year. But Matt Forte, who handled the bulk of the ground game, greatly improved his average from 3.6 yards per carry in ‘09 to 4.5 last season.

The bigger problem was protecting Cutler, who was sacked more than anyone in the NFL. At this stage in his development, Solder, a former tight end with excellent athleticism, is a better pass protector than run blocker.

NFL.com's Steve Wyche thinks the Bears will wind up with Miami cornerback Brandon Harris, even though that is not considered one of the team's top areas of need.

“An OT, DT and DE are needed,” Wyche said, “but Harris is a solid player who is coachable and loves to compete.”

Wyche's colleague, Pat Kirwan, uses the same, probably faulty, logic in predicting that the Bears will go for Texas cornerback Aaron Williams.

“Williams ran a slow 40 at the Combine and needs to run faster at some point,” Kirwan says. “He'll have a chance at Texas' pro day on March 28.”

In Don Banks' latest mock, at SI.com, he agrees with the consensus that the Bears will look for better protection for Cutler by going with Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod. Banks has Boston College's Anthony Castonzo, Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi, USC's Tyron Smith and Solder off the board by No. 29.

One of Sherrod's greatest assets is his versatility and, as a three-year starter, he may be able to play right away. But he may not be athletic enough for left tackle, and he'll need to get stronger if he plays right tackle.