The Windy City has brought a whirlwind of change this offseason. Head coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace have taken over for Marc Trestman and Phil Emery, respectively. Their first order of business: fix the team.
The Bears had too much talent to go 5-11 last year and even though Brandon Marshall is gone and Jay Cutler badly underachieved, it is Chicago's defense that is the bigger problem. The Bears ranked 17th in rushing yards allowed per game (112.7), 19th in yards per carry allowed (4.3), 17th in rushing touchdowns allowed (12) and 16th in sacks (39). You know who can help improve every one of those mediocre finishes? USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay projects to go to the Bears at No. 7 in his recent Mock Draft 4.0.
"To be clear: Williams dropping to No. 7 here has nothing to do with my opinion of him as a player," McShay wrote. "He's the No. 2 prospect on my board and I've had him ranked as one of the top players in this class since the preseason. But this scenario does show how he has the potential to drop a little bit if he gets out of the top two picks based on the needs of teams picking third through seventh. He wouldn't fill a huge need for the Bears, but at this point he's too good of a value for them to pass up, especially given how bad their defense has been the last two seasons. The Chicago Bears ranking 31st in the league in scoring defense? That's just not right. Williams is an impact run-stopper and above-average interior pass-rusher who can play multiple roles in different schemes. If Williams isn't available here, then WR Kevin White would be the pick."
It's tough to see Williams making it past the top three. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley loves himself a fearsome front seven and Williams would be a big part of that. Even if by some miracle he does fall, the Oakland Raiders (No. 4) and Washington Redskins (No. 5) would likely jump at the chance to draft him. Bears fans shouldn't get their hopes up. But if this scenario did play out on draft night, Chicago would be ecstatic to get arguably the draft's top prospect.
