Give credit where credit is due as Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has worked diligently to bolster a roster that left plenty to be desired after a 6-10 season.
The first-year of the John Fox era struggled to find much consistency through a lack of identity, but the blame can't be all on him as the front office made a plethora of moves throughout the season looking to build for the future. The team didn't catch many breaks as they even watched first-round pick Kevin White miss the entire season due to a foot injury.
Pace and Fox look to erase the past and move forward continuing to rebuild the nucleus of the team and so far have been one of the most active teams in free agency.
Pace took one of the team's biggest weaknesses and turned it into a strength with inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman, giving Fox stability in the middle of his defense while allowing Christian Jones to continue his development behind them.
Playing in front of them will be newly acquired and former New England Patriot defensive end Akiem Hicks who at just 26 is one of the better up-and-coming for his position.
Lastly, Pace brought another player coming off his first-contract in right tackle Bobby Massie. The move allows Kyle Long to move back to his original position inside at guard where he was a two-time pro bowler killing two-birds with one stone.
1. Nose Tackle
Even with how active the team has been early this offseason it's still hard to picture and feel what the real identity will be when we watch the Bears next season. The best thing the Bears can do is add an anchor in the middle of their 3-4 defense that would solidify the play in the trenches while setting the tone for the team.
While Eddie Goldman has shown promise in his limited playing time you get what you pay for meaning his true potential is capped out as an adequate at best nose tackle (which is not his most natural position).
By using an early round selection on a player like Baylor’s Andrew Billings Fox would have a run stuffing, block chewing anchor to build his defensive scheme around.
2. Cornerback
After showing plenty of promise cornerback Kendall Fuller took a small step back last year under a new system. Fuller still holds on the talent to grow back into Fox’s number one cornerback but it's clear he needs help around him to help ease the pressure.
Tracy Porter and Bryce Callahan simply don't cut it against opposing teams top receivers however, luckily for the Bears the draft is loaded with some solid talent that can be had in the second and third rounds.
3. Edge Rusher
Pernell McPhee and Lamar Houston are far from a worst case scenario as they have done a more than adequate job at what they've been asked. However, to open up Fox’s defensive philosophy and playbook he will need a dangerous presence of the edge much like he had with Von Miller.
We know talents such as Miller don’t grow on trees but there are numerous angles and options to take in the draft to add to Fox’s pass rushing arsenal.
Striking early in round-one on a prospect like Noah Spence or Joey Bosa would have an immediate impact, but if the team looks another direction early on than pulling the trigger on an explosive linebacker like Deion Jones would be a fantastic consolation prize.
4. Wide Receiver
With the return of top-10 pick Kevin White to the offense it wouldnt seem this position would be a big area of need. However, given the unproven status of White and the fact Alshon Jeffery will once again be a free agent next season, adding to the arsenal is a must early in the draft.
Even in a perfect world where both return next season as impactful weapons, in today's pass-happy league an offense needs three-to-four capable wide receivers at any given time.
5. Safety
When I attended the 2015 Senior Bowl safety Adrian Amos was a player that impressed numerous coaches and scouts. So far he has shown good promise as a day-three pick but has yet to prove himself as a long term starter.
Opposite of him is Antrel Rolle. Rolle has been a solid stop-gap free agent signing but at 33 years old has little left in the tank.
After assessing the 2016 safety class there are great options to replace Rolle as an in-the-box safety that could have great NFL careers like Florida’s Keanu Neal and Duke’s Jeremy Cash.
Bears Mock Draft
1. (11) Andrew Billings, Nose Tackle, Baylor
2. (41) William Jackson, Cornerback, Houston
3. (72) Jeremy Cash, Strong Safety, Duke
4. (106) Rashard Higgins, Wide Receiver, Colorado State
4. (127) Deion Jones, Linebacker, LSU
5. (150) Mike Thomas, Wide Receiver, Southern Miss
6. (185) Joe Haeg, Offensive Tackle, North Dakota State
6. (204) Vernon Adams, Quarterback, Oregon
6. (206) Kyle Murphy, Offensive Tackle, Stanford
7. (230) Keith Marshall, Running Back, Georgia