In a surprise move, the Chicago Bears added speedy Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe to their backfield with the 93rd pick in the NFL Draft. Wolfe lead the nation in rushing in 2006 and, though undersized, is a great compliment to the pounding rusher that Cedric Benson is. A huge pickup for the Bears considering the lack of depth in their backfield following the trade of Thomas Jones. Wolfe will be great on third downs and a change of pace later in the games. He will be similar to Michael Turner (also with NIU roots) in terms of production and can be a solid backup (maybe eventual starter) in the NFL for quite sometime. The local product is a great pickup for the Bears, as he averaged nearly 156 yards per game in his career and 6.8 yards per carry in 2006. Wolfe attended Holy Cross High School.

With the 94th pick, the Bears drafted Michael Okwo, a LB out of Stanford. At 5′11′’ he’s undersized, but scouts agree he is a smart and explosive linebacker. Could he take over for Lance Briggs as early as this year? That’s the million dollar question.

Two good picks for the Bears filling two important needs. Congrats Angelo, you suprised us all.

Up Next for the Bears …

Still looking to add a wideout, but day 1 was pretty successful for the Bears. The Bears will undoubtedly add depth to secondary. Is Troy Smith worth a look?

I realize as the draft progresses, there will be a lot of names that come up that little people know. But I didn’t think it would be as early as the second round.

With so much talent to take, the Bears (dare I say) wasted their pick on Dan Bazuin, a DE out to the MAC (Central Michigan). It’s not that Bazuin isn’t good, or that he is completely unknown, but the Bears addressed a position where they need very little help at. Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunelye and Mark Anderson are all stud defensive ends. The first two are Pro Bowlers and the later had double digit sacks as a rookie last year. Unless Bazuin, who has decent speed at about 4.65, can convert to an outside line backer, this is not a smart pick. If they were looking to take the best player available, they failed; if they were looking to fill a need, then they failed at that, too.

Up next for the Bears …

Lets move up and get Trent Edwards, QB from Stanford, while he’s still there. With back to back picks coming in the third (93 & 94) the Bears can package the two and jump ahead of any who would be interested. Of course the odds of this are slim, and look for the Bears to waste the rest of their picks on defensive depth, special teams spots and not get a wide out or O-lineman until the end of the draft when the talent is thin. Not everyone is a steal, Angelo, how about taking someone we can get excited about.

The Bears traded the 37th pick in the draft, a pick they received in the Thomas Jones trade, to the San Diego Chargers to get a few more selections in later rounds and one next year. San Deigo used the trade to get Eric Weddle, a safety out of Utah.

The trade gave San Diego the No. 37 pick, while the Chargers gave the Bears the their second, third and fifth picks this year and their third round pick next year. Wow, that is a lot of picks to just move down 30 spots in the second round.

With so many play makers on the board and the Bears in need of wide receivers, it was surprising the Bears were looking to trade the pick, but not when you see how much they got for it. How could you turn that down? GM Jerry Angelo considers himself a late-round guru and loves to trade down to get more players in later rounds. The strategy has worked in the past and he has found pro bowlers and other talents in later rounds (Alex Brown, Tank Johnson, Mark Anderson, Lance Briggs, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley) and allows you to sign more players at a cheaper price. Hopefully, a QB or WR worth taking is still on the board when the Bears pick next at 62. This is a great deal for the Bears, considering how much they are getting.

Greg Olsen, TE, Miami

Everyone thought the Bears would take TE last draft when the crop was pretty deep, however, a year later, Chicago gets its playmaking big boy. Olsen is 6′5′’ and has great hands and speed. He’ll be great in the seam for the Bears and immediately creates mismatches in the secondary. He needs to work on his blocking, but if the Bears can utilize Olsen’s abilities, he can be a great safety valve for sparatic Rex Grossman. But Olsen will be able to outrun linebackers with his 4.55 forty speed and will tower over safeties. Think Dallas Clark meets Jason Whitten. Olsen will be good.

Up next for the Bears …

With the fifth pick in the second round, I’m looking for the Bears to solidify the QB position by drafting either Michigan State’s Drew Stanton or Brigham Young’s John Beck. Both will compete in a few years for a starting spot. With Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith still on the board, though, wide receiver is a position they can address as well. But, it will be very tough to pass up on OLB Paul Poslusnzy, especially with a disgruntled Lance Briggs, if he’s still there.

Already, the NFL Draft has had some huge surprises. Who would have thought that pretty-boy Brady Quinn, who tore up the Notre Dame record books, could have slipped out of the top ten. They’ve moved him to a private room at this point so the media can’t show his worried face after every pick like it did with Aaron Rodgers and Matt Leinart the last two years.

My only complaint, though, is why is Keyshawn Johnson analyzing the draft? What is the obsession with loud, flashy wide receivers in the ESPN booth?

Let’s take a look at how the draft is shaping up so far.

1. Oakland Raiders select Jamarcus Russell, QB, LSU

This one was a no brainer. Quarterback is too important not to snag a guy with Russell’s talent. Calvin Johnson was the No. 1-overall prospect, but he didn’t fit into Oakland’s needs. Russell needs some development before he steps in, but he can shake things up in the AFC West.

2. Detroit Lions select Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

Surprise! Matt Millen took a WR. The Lions will draft local product Drew Stanton in the second or third round, so they’ll get their quarterback. In the meantime, Johnson will do some special things on the football field opposite of Roy Williams, even with Jon Kitna at quarterback. But don’t be surprised if Johnson still gets traded to the Bucs for Gaines Adams for some second-round picks.

3. Cleveland Browns select Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

We all assumed that whoever picked second would snag Johnson, but most people had Cleveland selecting Quinn at this point. But apparently Joe Thomas was too good to pass up, and for a team trying to rebuild, left tackle, the most crucial position on offense outside of quarterback, is a great start. Thomas will be a great lineman for a long, long time, and he has even better character.

4. Tamba Bay Buccaneers select Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson

It’s too high for Gaines Adams to be drafted at this spot. Adams is not a complete package. He can’t contribute on the run and he gives up on plays. He has outstanding athleticism and is a great pass rusher, but football is not all passing. Still, opposite of Simeon Rice, he should be able to put immediate pressure on the quarterback.

5. Arizona Cardinals select Levi Brown, OT, Penn State

For all the reasons listed to draft Thomas, Brown will bring the same thing for the Cardinals, except they already have their quarterback. Brown will have to play right tackle to protect lefty Matt Leinart’s backside. He will also bring an immediate pressence in the run game and you will see it in an improved Edjarin James.

6. Washington Redskins select LaRon Landry, S, LSU

Obviously Washington was trying to trade this pick and didn’t do its draft homework. They have a great safety in Sean Taylor, and Landry is basically the same in the box type safety. With so many needs on both sides of the ball, the Redskins failed to fill a hole. Safety could have been addressed in a later round. How can you not go after Leon Hall, a player who could have immediately brought stability to coverage in the secondary?

7. Minnesota Vikings select Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

The Vikings greatly benefited from running back not being a need for the teams above them. I’m impressed they had the cajones to pull the trigger. Peterson is a hard runner, but does he run too hard? Will he be injury prone? These are all worries team will have, but they’re stupid worries. The upside on Peterson is too huge. He’ll accell in the Metrodome, and his hard running style will help the Vikings when they travel to Chicago and Green Bay in winter.

8. Atlanta Falcons select Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas

With John Abraham hurt and Patrick Kearney packing his bags, this was a good, safe pick for the Falcons in a spot where there weren’t too many players worth that pick. They could have addressed wide receiver, but none were worthy of No. 9. The Falcons should feel comfortable immediately plugging Anderson into their system. One question: Can he dirty bird like the old J.A.?

9. Miami Dolphins select Tedd Ginn, WR/KR, Ohio State

WHHAAAAAAAAT? Everyone, including the ND QB himself, thought Quinn would go here. It’s funny that everyone was putting him on a pedestal before the draft, and now that he’s slipping, everyone’s taking their shots. Kiper and his hair were livid about this pick, thinking Ginn had no place being drafted here. Still, he’ll be a great asset for this team if his foot has healed, and he will immediately help the return game and improve an overall weak receiving group.

10. Houston Texans select Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville

A real risk considering his age (19) and size (barely 6′2′’). But his upside is enormous.  A true nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, Houston will have to develop this player into an NFL player, but sometime in the not-so-distant future, Okoye will excel.

When will Brady Quinn go? I can see the Packers not being sold on Rodgers and taking a gamble. The Bears can bait Lance Briggs to move up and snag him. But it might be a while. Furthermore, there are other, cheaper quarterbacks in later rounds to be drafted who might have brighter futures than Quinn.

The Oakland Raiders have taken LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the top overall pick.

There was speculation as late as yesterday that the Raiders would either take Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson or trade the pick to the Cleveland Browns.

Russell is a big boy. He has a cannon for an arm and looks like he could be a more accurate Daunte Culpepper. Russell’s draft stock sky rocketed after he led his Tigers to a Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Be weary of guys whose draft position increases that much in one game. But he only lost four games as a starter and looks like in a few years can be a great, athletic quarterback.

Check out the DI Sports Wrap-up blog throughout the NFL Draft for the latest anaylsis on Bears’ picks, Illini getting drafted and other insightful comments.

Also, I want to apologize for not completing my division-by-division draft outlook. I didn’t realize how daunting of a task it was. Next year, I’ll start much earlier so I can complete it.

But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still check out the blog for the latest Draft news, and continue to visit the blog in the future for commentary on the sports world.