Jan. 15--It's not officially NFL draft season until ESPN analyst Mel Kiper hosts his first teleconference to discuss this year's class of prospects. He did so Thursday, kicking off the march toward the event's return to Grant Park and Roosevelt University on April 28-30.
Kiper fielded three questions about the Chicago Bears, who pick 11th overall and have a total of nine picks (three sixth-rounders). Earlier Thursday, he released his first mock draft of the process and projected the Bears to select Alabama inside linebacker Reggie Ragland at No. 11.
Here's what Kiper had to say about Ragland and whether there's a quarterback who could tempt general manager Ryan Pace in the first round:
On if there's a quarterback good enough to tempt the Bears at No. 11:
"The job that (Jay) Cutler did this year, a career season--I said early to midseason when he was injured they've got to get a quarterback. Well, after the way he finished, I don't know about that.
"You think about the 11th pick, do you take a guy like (Michigan State left tackle) Jack Conklin there, who could be a major addition to your line? Do you look at Reggie Ragland, who I gave them, to solidify and be the leader of your defense from an inside linebacker spot? Or do you go with a quarterback? Who would it be?
"It would be Paxton Lynch from Memphis or it would be Carson Wentz from North Dakota State. I've got to believe you try to get the linebacker or the offensive lineman. And if you want to want to take a young quarterback down the line a little bit, you'd look at Dak Prescott (Mississippi State) at some point, maybe third or fourth round. You could do that. If you wanted to look at Connor Cook (Michigan State), maybe second or third round. You could do that. See where Christian Hackenberg from Penn State falls.
An interesting late-round pick to me is going to be Brandon Allen from Arkansas. He did a great job there throughout the season. I think he's a late-round pick who can play in this league. We'll see where Cody Kessler from USC where he ends up. I would go more of the late Day 2 early-to-mid Day 3 options rather than the 11th pick overall."
On Reggie Ragland's strengths and weaknesses:
"Well, he's just a guy who can really, really handle the run responsibilities inside and be a great leader. He's a run stuffer. He's got good range. He'll be a guy who works out very effectively. Coverage ability is OK. It's not great. You saw that exposed a little bit in the national championship game. But I thought when you think about Rolando McClain and Dont'a Hightower and C.J. Mosley, the next in line is Reggie Ragland.
"Tremendous, tremendous intangibles with Ragland. All the physical qualifications you want. I'd like to see a little bit of improvement in coverage but he's a heck of an inside linebacker. It's a need area for them. He could step right in. He's very comfortable playing in that 3-4. That's what he played in at Alabama. So I think he would be ... a play-and-play type of guy at the inside linebacker spot."
On the depth of this year's class of linebackers:
"At inside linebacker, in particular, it's not great, but there are some good ones. You look at a guy like Antonio Morrison from Florida -- I'll just throw him out. He had the injury (knee, meniscus in 2013), came back. Near the third or fourth round, he's a tackling machine at Florida. You might see him in the third or fourth round.
"Scooby Wright (Arizona), Mr. Versatility. How will test out? That will determine where Scooby Wright goes. He's intriguing. A versatile kid like Terrance Smith at Florida St. We mentioned (Cassanova) McKinzy at Auburn, a kid that had tons of plays behind the line of scrimmage, could get to the quarterback, sideline to sideline. Kentrell Brothers at Missouri. And I haven't even mentioned Myles Jack, who's going to go in the first round, out of UCLA.
"So it's a pretty good group. It's not tremendously deep after that, although there are a couple under-the-radar guys I like, (FCS) guys that have a chance (Luke Rhodes, William Mary; Don Cherry, Villanova; Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky)."
