NFL Mock Draft 2016: Pre-Free Agency edition

player. 57. <p>Everyone agrees that the Bears should invest in the front seven with this particular selection, but no consensus exists as to a) what position Chicago should focus on or b) what players would fit best with the Bears. For me, linebacker is the biggest need for the team, though, and in the absence of a player like Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith (who falls a great deal based on medical information), Reggie Ragland is a phenomenal fit.</p> <p>An argument could certainly be made for a pass-rushing outside linebacker in Chicago’s 3-4 scheme, but inside linebacker is a glaring weakness for the Bears. The organization could realistically be replacing both starters inside and, well, that would not be the worst thing based on how the duo fared during the 2015 season.</p> <p>Ragland is a divisive player in this class given that he does <em>not</em> present the athletic upside that a team might crave with a top-12 pick, but he is also quite safe. The former Alabama standout makes every play that he is supposed to make, and Ragland is a physical beast despite his lack of top-end speed. In college, Ragland profiled as a tackling machine, and for a defense void of players with that make-up, the Bears could reasonably add him without feeling like this is a huge reach.</p>. LB. Alabama. Reggie Ragland. 11