Chicago Bears Draft Recap: Round One

We waited long enough, but at the 29^th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jerry Angelo and the Chicago Bears selected Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi. A left tackle, Carimi will undoubtedly be a starter on the offensive line when the season starts, likely next to Chris Williams on the left side. I’ll break him down more after the draft ends, but it’s a solid start for Jerry Angelo. Carimi has a nasty streak in him, which is necessary with some of the pass rushers in the NFC North. He’s also durable, having started 49 games for the Badgers during his four years. He can definitely play guard, but look for him to get time at left tackle.

However, this pick wasn’t without a bit of drama. The oddities began when the Bears were reportedly engaged with the Baltimore Ravens about trading up in the draft to pick 26, but Chicago failed to confirm the deal with the league in time. The Ravens then passed on their pick, letting Kansas City slide into their spot. Baltimore then took corner Jimmy Smith at 27 and the Saints traded up to get Mark Ingram, leaving the Bears Carimi at 29.

With rounds two and three coming tomorrow night, Angelo must look towards his holes on defense. Outside linebacker, defensive line and cornerback have to be at the top of his list for positions to look towards. Though drafting another interior lineman would be wise, since Detroit picked up defensive tackle Nick Fairley to pair with Ndamukong Suh. That’s frightening. I may have peed a little when I saw that pick.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more Bears coverage! Be sure to follow me on Twitter for instant analysis!