[CBFF] ESPNi: Best and worst picks, NFC (Scouts Inc.)

[Victor Waldron]

Chicago Bears
BearsBest pick: Mark Anderson, DE, Alabama. Anderson made a surprising
nosedive on draft weekend. But the Bears finally took advantage of his
misfortune by selecting him late in the fifth round. Not only did
Anderson consistently produce at the college level, he also put on an
impressive display during combine workouts. I expect Anderson to
quickly emerge as part of the defensive end rotation behind Alex Brown
and Adewale Ogunleye in Chicago.

Worst pick: Devin Hester, RS, Miami. This pick would have been fine
had the team not taken Danieal Manning (Abilene Christian) earlier in
the second round. Manning was a decent value because of his potential
versatility as a free safety/cornerback tweener with experience in the
return game. Hester is more explosive in the return game, but he
doesn't have a position on offense or defense. So the team essentially
used its second of two picks in Round 2 on a return specialist when it
could have gotten production in that area from Manning. Better options
with the 57th overall pick would have included Western Michigan tight
end Tony Scheffler or Fresno State DC Richard Marshall.

Work to do: It was surprising to see the Bears continually pass on
highly rated tight end prospects throughout the draft's first few
rounds, especially after watching Georgia tight end Leonard Pope slip
to Round 3. Unless a move is made between now and next fall, the team
is stuck with Desmond Clark -- who has caught just 24 passes in each
of the last two seasons -- as its starter.