NFL Mock Draft 2016: The Chicago Bears Select Shaq Lawson

Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson

In the real NFL Draft, I would be extremely angry at the Bears for robbing Shaq Lawson from the Saints. That shows you a lot about how I think about Lawson. A terrific player at Clemson, Lawson stands at a solid 269 pounds, good for a defensive end, but he is also surprisingly agile for his size. He can bull rush or use his agility to perform swim moves.

But first, let's take a look at the current state of the Bears. Their offense is looking solid with tons of young talent (besides Jay "Tony Romo Choke Artist" Cutler) but it is their putrid pass rush that results in a lot of Ls(again, besides that choke artist Jay Cutler). If Vernon Hargreaves III falls here, it would be great for them, but since in this mock draft, since the best CB left is Mackensie Alexander, the best player available is clearly Alexander's teammate from Clemson, Shaq Lawson.

With the Bears current starting defensive ends are former New Orleans Saint Akiem Hicks(who, let's admit it, all of us were in love with him before we heard about his work ethic) and Will Sutton. Sutton, a natural DT, should not be starting on a good pass rush and Lawson can come in day 1, start, and be successful in his rookie year, His high motor and superb hands will translate well to the NFL and should be a great pass rusher. 
Let's take a look at the stats when Lawson faced Ronnie Stanley, a possible top 10 pick in the draft. Lawson dominated him, finishing with 3.5 tackles for loss. He showcased his amazing combination of agility and strength and the variety of moves he can use.

He will fit great in the Bears 3-4 defense, either as a DE or even an OLB.

If you wanted to see a great highlight video of Lawson: 

A more in-depth breakdown of Lawson from CBS Sports:

STRENGTHS: Lawson's compact frame and power make him equally effective against the run and the pass, where he shows surprising initial quickness and agility as well as a terrific motor. He has quick, strong hands to create push with his upper-body strength, showing the fluid lower body to drive his legs and smoothly change directions based on his reads.

Lawson is terrific leveraging blocks off the edge, using an iron shoulder and natural body flexibility to dictate his path and beat single blocks. Does a nice job setting the edge and playing contain, working off his blocks to the outside and finishing in space.

WEAKNESSES: Lawson needs to do a better job with his recoil to reset and react to inside runs.

COMPARES TO: Pernell McPhee, Chicago Bears - Like McPhee, Lawson lacks ideal height and length, but both are well built with violent hands, ball awareness and versatility. Only one season as a starter.

IN OUR VIEW: Lawson's heavy hands allow him to stack and hold his side of the line of scrimmage. He is a power player with the lower body athleticism to be equally dominant against the run and the pass, putting his draft value in the early rounds.

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Thanks to all the CSC members who participated in this year's community mock draft. Without your help, none of this would be possible.

Below are the complete results from our community mock draft.

Catch up with all of the mock draft selections in our 2016 CSC Community Mock Draft Hub.