Draft help could come from Utah

It's difficult to project which players will be available when the Bears get around to their first pick, which is 76th overall, but they would probably be delighted if Utah's Zane Beadles was still on the board.

Beadles was mostly a left tackle in college, starting there for the past three years. But NFL talent evaluators often project him to guard, where he started for the Utes as a freshman. He seems to lack the elite athleticism necessary at left tackle in the NFL, but he could find a home at right tackle.

That would allow the Bears the flexibility of starting Beadles at whichever of those two positions isn't filled by Frank Omiyale, who started at guard most of last season but had more experience at tackle.

Another Utah player the Bears could be very interested in on draft weekend is safety Robert Johnson, who was not invited to the Combine but could be a sleeper. Johnson already has a visit set up with the Bears at Halas Hall on April 6.

The Bears were among 16 teams represented at Utah’s pro day on Monday. Afterward, Vikings regional scout Kevin McCabe told the Daily Utah Chronicle, "(Johnson) has got great ball skills, and he has great range. He made a lot of great catches down in the corner." (That's right Commissioner, the Daily Utah Chronicle).

Johnson measured a fraction over 6-foot-2 and weighed in at 203 pounds. He ran the 40 in the 4.6 range, which is adequate, but his 4.06 in the 20-yard shuttle and 6.56 in the three-cone drill would have been tops among safeties at the Combine.