| 22 April 2010
Some interesting things happened in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft and if you want a pick by pick recap you've come to the wrong place for that. However the bits of excitement that did materialize in the draft when it was all said and done greatly boosted the Bears' chances for landing a quality draft pick at the 75th overall slot.
Players that did fall out of the first round that perhaps weren't expected to, Jimmy Clausen, Sergio Kindle and Taylor Mays likely will be scooped up in the early part of the second round meaning players that would have likely would have been scooped in the first part of the second begin to fall back.
Perhaps the most important thing that never materialized was the expected run on offensive tackles. The biggest help to the Bears was seeing Bryan Bulaga fall all the way to the Packers. Bulaga was rumored to be a Top-10 pick, most assuredly a top-15 pick a definite safe bet but he fell all the way to the Packers at 23. From there every last one of the fringe first round rated OTs stayed on the board. Players such as Maryland's Bruce Campbell, Indiana's Rodger Saffold, UMass' Vladmir Ducasse, USC's Charles Brown, all sunk out of the first round. In their place rose three CBs that weren't first round talent locks and two RBs who rose higher than their original projections and of course perhaps the shock of the draft Tyson Alualu from Cal who jettisoned into the Top-10 with the Jaguars picking up the Bear. 
A safe bet is that amongst the five OTs left with prospect grades with high second round grades one could slip through to the third round or all five could go ahead of the highest rated guards of the draft. Meaning a player like Jon Asamoah rated as the number one pure offensive guard prospect in the draft could be available when the Bears draft at 75th overall.
I say Asamoah is the number one rated guard prospect because of the other remaining offensive linemen projected to be selected between now and when the Bears select, those prospects fall in the OT category as well the offensive guard category. Mike Iupati even though he played guard is a player who could kick out to OT based on his athleticism and size. This is a position Bears fans certainly would not have figured they would have been in with only a third round pick in 2010.
Moving from the offensive line out to safety also helping the Bears was seeing Taylor Mays fall out of the first round meaning a team in need of a safety won't be able to simply jump on Nate Allen in the second round. Taylor Mays figures to go off the board early in the second, but a team that may have slightly reached for Allen may now have a bargain in Mays. Meaning Morgan Burnett or Myron Lewis may be in range for the Bears, two players rated amongst the top five free safety prospects in the NFL draft.
Even if disaster strikes in the second round tomorrow the Bears likely still find themselves in a very enviable position when they select in the third round. A highly rated player that was likely a player Bears fans would have had to hope fall to them at 75 overall likely will be there meaning the Bears should be able to address one of their biggest needs in 2010 NFL draft with their third round choice.
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