5th Round: Team Chooses Bowman/Davis

Posted by Eric Cook on April 27th, 2008 filed in Bear Insight, Cook's Corner, Draft, Main

Question Marks Surround, Yet Talent’s Undoubted: With their 5th round selections Chicago acquired depth on both sides of the ball, obtaining two prospects with tons of talent, yet possessing questions concerning durability that need to be answered.

WIth their first Pick in round 5 (142) the Bears select Zackary Bowman a 6′2″ 200-pound Cornerback out of Nebraska.

Draft Analysis by NFL.COM:

Positives: Prototypical size for corner, tall with nice arm span. … Good hands for the interception, looking it in all of the way. … High-points the ball with good vertical. … Best when using his size and length to press on the outside, then turn and run with the receiver down the sideline. … May also be useful in zones as he can read the quarterback and break on a ball thrown in front of him.

Negatives: Multiple injuries may have irreparably hurt his draft stock. … His quickness is less than ideal, as he struggles in lateral movement and changing directions. … Cannot keep up with smaller receivers in space. … Does not play or tackle as physically as one would expect, making a move to free safety difficult. … Better breaking on balls in front of him, as his backpedal is slow and high. … Does not own a great closing burst.

WIth their first Pick in round 5(142) the Bears select Kellen Davis a 6′7″ 259 lb Tight End out of Michigan State.

NFL.COM ANALYSIS:

Positives: Looks the part. … Chiseled upper and lower with room for additional mass without loss of speed. … Good overall athlete. … Marginal quickness off the snap. … Flashes deep speed to challenge down the seam. … Flashes soft hands. … Can make the tough catch and can track the ball over his shoulder. … Good leaping ability. … Uses his frame to shield the defender from the ball. … Good inline blocker. … Good physicality at the line of scrimmage. … Combination of size and strength to earn playing time as a defensive end here, as well.

Negatives: Isn’t the sum of his parts. … Has been rumored to have a 4.6 40-yard time and a 36-inch vertical jump, but this speed and explosiveness isn’t consistently evident on the field. … Lacks explosiveness off the snap and struggles to generate true separation due to only marginal route-running. … Allows passes to get into his pads and struggles at times with drops. … Lacks explosiveness off the snap when used as a defensive end. … Suspended for three games in 2006 for an off-campus fight.