SB Nation just came out with its latest edition of the 2011 NFL Mock Draft, and it features more of the same for the Bears. Most mocks around the Internet are giving the Bears help along the offensive line, as they probably should, and this mock is no different. It has the Bears taking Mississippi St. tackle Derek Sherrod in the first round. Here is its rationale:
Best offensive lineman available. It's not even necessary for the Bears to take a tackle, but they will if there's one available, and Sherrod could go much earlier than this. He'd have an excellent chance to usurp Frank Omiyale at left tackle immediately.
It had the same pick last week, and my concerns with it remain the same. If Sherrod is really capable of starting from day one, then he wouldn't be going this late in the first round. Teams always need help on the offensive line, and if Sherrod were this good, than another team would probably have snapped him up before the Bears got a chance to.
If he is on the board and I think that is a pretty big if, than he makes a lot of sense for the Bears. But I also don't think that starting a rookie taken in the latter portion of the first round is a great way to cure the Bears' offensive line woes. Sherrod is a good player, but it is impossible to expect the Bears to come out with an offensive line savior this late in the first round.