2013 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears nab Arthur Brown

After Brian Urlacher turned down a $2 million deal to remain with the team and Nick Roach signed with the Oakland Raiders, the Chicago Bears decided to sign former Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams to replace Urlacher at middle linebacker and replenish the depth lost at the linebacker position. But the Bears could still use another LB, and Walter Football has the Bears taking a middle linebacker with their first-round pick in their 2013 NFL Mock Draft.

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With the 20th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears took former Kansas State Wildcats star linebacker Arthur Brown, who was once regarded as a mere third-round pick. Brown has seen his draft stock rise recently, and he deserves it after a terrific season in 2012 with Kansas State. He was one of the best defensive players in college football, and he has first-round value for the Bears if they do view adding another linebacker as a priority.

As Walter Football notes, the Bears can just draft Brown and then slide Williams to the strong-side, and that would be beneficial to the linebacker corps as a whole. Although the Ray Lewis comparisons are convoluted, Brown does have good leadership qualities and was an excellent tackler and downhill run-stuffer at Kansas State. He has much better intangibles than Manti Te’o ever did, and he is the true star-potential MLB in this draft class; it’s taken long enough for some to realize that.

However, he isn’t the most athletic player, and he does have issues in coverage at times. But make no mistake, Brown is not a two-down linebacker and mostly holds his own in coverage. The Chicago Bears present a very good fit for Brown, and he is well-worth taking at pick number 20 if that’s a position the Bears do indeed view as a priority.

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