Even though defensive end isn't considered an area of need for the Bears, they couldn't pass on Northwestern's Corey Wootton, who had 16 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a junior. They see him as a left end, although he spent the past three seasons on the right side, although he played left end as a freshman. "This is a value pick for us," said Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel. "We had him going into the year as a very highly rated player. I don't think he played as well (as in 2008), but he's coming off knee surgery he had in January of 2009. He wasn't 100 percent when he played this year. He fell because of the injury, but he's a good player." Northwestern DE Corey Wootton doesn't see any reason to lament the past, including the torn ACL that hampered his 2009 season and torpedoed his draft status. "I think everything happens for a reason," he said. "I wanted to become a more complete player and work on my skills, get stronger, (and I'm) a year smarter. It was very tough. I just didn't have the leg strength. I didn't really get an off-season of strength training. Just doing basic rehab stuff and got onto the field. It made me appreciate the game that much more. It made me a better film studier. But I didn't have the same burst I had back in 2008. But since the season ended, I have made tremendous gains in my strength."
Source: USA Today
Source: USA Today
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