Heading into the 2008 NFL Draft, the Bears have a lot of holes in their roster. Offensively, they still have Rex Grossman at quarterback. Cedric Benson was a disappointment at running back and he’s returning as the likely starter. Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian were lost to free agency – thinning an already thin corps of wide receivers.

With the 14th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Bears will likely be in the market for the best offensive player available. Although they’ve invested a lot of time and effort in Benson, the team could very well take another running back this year. Rashard Mendenhall could be on the board and he’d give another option if Benson struggles again in 2008.

At wide receiver, the Bears will likely consider Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. If Kelly is still on the board, he’d make a very solid pick. Thomas would be a bit of a reach but the team is so desperate for wide receiver help that it’d be understandable.

Grossman appears safe for another year because this draft isn’t very top heavy when it comes to quarterback. It’s extremely unlikely that the Bears will pick a quarterback in the first round.

Overall, expect the Bears to target either Kelly or Mendenhall. If both are off the board, Thomas would make sense. If all three are off the board, the Bears could look at another receiver such as Limas Sweed or Mario Manningham.

Check out this Rashard Mendenhall video:

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Malcolm Kelly Analysis
NFL teams love tall receivers who have strong hands. Malcolm Kelly is just that. He has the prototypical size, speed and athleticism to become a good receiver at the pro level. His smoothness when running routes impresses scouts and a lot of scouts thought Kelly would be even higher rated if he went to a more pass-friendly school. As it is, Kelly is a borderline top ten pick who should be off the board before pick number 20.

Malcolm Kelly Fantasy Projections
If any rookie wide receiver is going to be able to produce right away, it will be Malcolm Kelly. He’s an especially intriguing prospect for fantasy football because he’s built to be a red zone target. Even if begins his career as a third wideout, he’ll likely see a lot of looks in the endzone early in his career.

Check out more 2008 NFL draft prospects.

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5. Matt Ryan, Quarterback
Rookie quarterbacks aren’t usually highly valued in fantasy football but there is a chance that Ryan plays right away at the NFL level. It depends on which team takes him. If he plays right away, Ryan is smart enough to be a decent fantasy option right away.

4. Jonathan Stewart, Running Back
Currently ranked as the third best running back on the board, Stewart has pretty good size and pretty good speed. He has a chance to be a solid back right away in the NFL. He’ll probably begin as a backup but he could find himself in the starting lineup sooner than later.

3. Malcolm Kelly, Wide Receiver
While 2008 isn’t a great year for wide receivers, Malcolm Kelly has a chance to be fantasy football gold. He has good size and very good hands, which is the combination you look for in a receiver who can grab a lot of touchdown passes. He lacks top end speed but Kelly should be a red zone target right away.

2. Rashard Mendenhall, Running Back
Depending on where he ends up, Mendenhall could be a starting running back in 2008. He has the total package it’d take to be a solid rookie running back in the NFL. He’ll likely be drafted at some point between the 10th and 20th pick.

1. Darren McFadden, Running Back
McFadden isn’t going to drop out of the top seven picks. He’s just too explosive of an athlete for teams to pass on him. McFadden has a chance to be a superstar on the NFL level and it’s highly likely that he’ll start as a rookie.

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