2017 NFL Mock Draft: Wild Card Edition
By Tyler Brooke
Jonathan Allen
DE, Alabama
The Chicago Bears are going to think long and hard about taking a quarterback in the first round. Jay Cutler is likely gone after this season, and Matt Barkley has failed to make a strong enough impression for the franchise to feel confident with him as their starter moving forward.
However, the Bears might want to find a stop-gap quarterback in free agency this offseason and focus on finding other players in the draft. That decision should be even easier if Alabama’s Jonathan Allen is still on the board when the Bears are on the clock.
Allen has been one of the most dominant defensive players in college football this season, even making noise as a potential Heisman Trophy finalist. At 6-foot-3′ and 294 pounds, Allen is explosive off of the line of scrimmage and uses some fantastic hands to disengage from would-be blockers.
The Bears could very well go with a quarterback or even defensive back with their first-round pick, but if Allen is still on the board, it’ll be hard to pass up on the talented defensive lineman. He might not have the upside that someone like Garrett has, but he definitely has a higher floor and could wind up having a more successful NFL career.