Chicago Bears: 8 Draft Prospects to Watch at 2015 Scouting Combine

Do you miss football already? Well, don't worry because the NFL Scouting Combine is coming your way February 17-23 from Indianapolis. 

This is the first combine for new team brass Ryan Pace and John Fox. They will look to identify talent for a team that only won five games last year and gave up more than 6,000 yards on defense.

Whether they're moving to a 3-4 scheme or sticking with the 4-3, the Chicago Bears have to find some quality talent to get that side of the ball back to playing what this franchise is accustomed to.

Even while paying attention to the defensive players, the Bears still need to find a right tackle and should take a long look at quarterbacks. Here are the eight players they need to watch at the combine.  

Last year, the Bears missed out on St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. This year they could be keeping a close eye on another impressive defensive tackle. 

A pass-rusher like Shane Ray would look good for the Bears in the first round, but they have to keep a close eye on Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton. 

Shelton possesses that rare ability to not only rush the quarterback from the inside but also fill up an A gap and be an inside linebacker's best friend. 

If he has a terrific combine similar to what Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe had in 2012, then he would be more than worthy of the seventh overall pick. Remember, Poe is already a two-time Pro Bowler. 

It comes down to taking the best player available, and Shelton could be it over Ray. The combine could well be a deciding factor. 

Should Shelton wow the Bears at the combine and force them to look strongly at defensive tackle in the first round, then the team would need to look at a pass-rusher early in the second.

Utah's Nate Orchard is already a hot name after having a solid Senior Bowl. Matt Miller has Orchard going to Cleveland in the second round, and Dane Brugler from NFLDraftScout.com thinks Orchard could push for the end of the first round. 

There's no doubt the buzz around Orchard at the combine will be big. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum going for himself. As it stands, the Bears draft seventh in the second round. Can they get Orchard there, or will he raise his stock all the way into the first? 

Orchard is a great fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme. He had 18.5 sacks last year and 21.5 tackles for loss. 

If the Bears aren't impressed with Orchard or miss out on him, then safety would be the next best place to look. 

In Fagio's defenses, a solid in-the-box safety is always present. TCU's Chris Hackett could be the guy the Bears are looking for in the second round. 

Hackett has a reputation as a tackling machine (75 last year) but is also capable of covering receivers and tight ends. He had six interceptions and six pass breakups last season. 

At the combine, Hackett's ball skills and measurements are going to be important to keep an eye on. If he measures over 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds, then the intrigue around him would heighten for sure. 

The Bears have one good offensive lineman from Oregon, so why not take a long look at another? 

Jake Fisher is a legitimate candidate to be the team's starting right tackle. He just needs to prove he's healthy and can keep his feet moving even under duress. 

As it stands, Fisher could be a solid choice in the third round. 

It still remains to be seen what the Bears are going to do with Jay Cutler. Whether they keep him or not, they still need to kick the tires on a young signal-caller in the draft. 

Colorado State's Garrett Grayson is one of the more interesting prospects in this draft. After Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, there is a complete mystery as to where the quarterbacks fall in line. 

UCLA's Brett Hundley is likely the third guy taken after Winston and Mariota, but can Grayson blow everyone away at the combine? 

Grayson has the potential to be this year's Jimmy Garoppolo (drafted in the second round) or Tom Savage (drafted in the fourth round). A second-round pick is likely too rich for the Bears' blood, but they would likely be curious in Round 4. 

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was a first-round pick before tearing his ACL in a practice gearing up for the College Football Playoff.

Now the young man must pick himself up and see if he can impress teams enough without doing any physical drills. 

The injury has likely knocked Ekpre-Olomu down to the fifth round. Right now, the Bears don't have a fifth-round pick but could easily make a deal to get it back. 

Will Ekpre-Olomu impress the Bears enough in interviews for them to make a deal to go get him? A torn ACL is no longer a career-devastating injury. We just saw Darrelle Revis return to his Pro Bowl form and win a Super Bowl despite suffering the same injury back in 2012.

It's still a risk, but if Ekpre-Olomu can return to form before the injury, then the Bears could have a great player to go alongside Kyle Fuller and not have to give up a lot to get him.  

If you watch a lot of Samford football, then you know all about Jaquiski Tartt, but if you fall in the 95 percent that has probably never seen him play, then the combine is the perfect stage. 

Scouting has gotten so advanced that it's no problem for the Bears to get tape on Tartt. They will see a sure tackler who racked up 95 last year and had five takeaways. 

It's important to see how Tartt performs with all eyes on him. Every year a few small-school prospects impress and upstage some of the guys from the big schools. 

Tartt may not be Alabama's Landon Collins, but he might show there isn't a huge difference between them. The Bears better pay attention because he could be a mid-round steal. 

A.J. Johnson comes with some serious baggage. He was suspended from the University of Tennessee last year amid rape allegations. 

In this current climate, a team has to be careful about who it signs or drafts. Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Adrian Peterson and Ray McDonald have shown those risks lately. 

Can Johnson play? Heck yeah. He's a physically strong linebacker who can get to the football in a heartbeat and make a bone-jarring tackle. 

It's going to be important for the Bears or any other team to gauge where Johnson is mentally. A part of making a mistake is redemption, and maybe Johnson has turned the corner. If he has, then he could be a late-round player worth taking a flier on.