LAKE FOREST | If Bears fans were in charge of this weekend's NFL draft, it'd be a no-brainer on how they would use their 11 picks.

Offensive line, running back, quarterback and safety. Happy? The only holes you'd find at Halas Hall would be in players' socks.

But fans aren't choosing, so expect the unexpected with general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith remaining tight-lipped the entire week.

"The tackle position, the defensive line and defensive backs, the corner position and running backs," Angelo noted. "Those are among the top tier where you'll see your 'special' players.

"To come up with a number, I would say there are probably 10 you might consider special players in this draft."

The Bears have the 14th pick of the first round and, as always, are looking for athletes with quickness regardless of where they play.

Angelo doubted the Bears would trade up because of the "astronomical" money given to top 10 picks. Michigan's Jake Long, the No. 1 pick this year, will receive a guaranteed $30 million signing bonus with Miami.

Two names often mentioned at Halas Hall this week were Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall and Notre Dame strong safety Tom Zbikowski, a Chicago kid.

The Bears ranked 30th in rushing yards and 32nd in yards per carry (3.1) last season, losing Cedric Benson late to a busted ankle. Angelo says Benson and veteran free safety Mike Brown (torn ACL) are progressing with their rehab.

Both, however, are injury-prone, and the ground game has been weak even with a healthy Benson.

Enter Mr. Mendenhall, whom Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner recruited while head coach at Illinois.

"Yeah, he's a franchise back," Turner said.

With five starters returning on the offensive line, along with swingman John St. Clair and the unproven Josh Beekman and Tyler Reed all available, the Bears might put a higher priority on running back.

"I don't want to let something that didn't happen as quickly as we wanted at that position to keep us from taking a running back," Angelo said. "It wouldn't stop from us from doing something."

Benson, Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe have done nothing to distinguish themselves.

"It's going to be more competition until somebody proves that they're the guy," Angelo said. "We have to make sure we create as much competition as possible at that position to get that done."

Lovie Smith said when you're 7-9 like the Bears were last season, you look at every position on draft day.

"I love him. I loved him coming out of high school. He was the top guy that we recruited," Turner said of Mendenhall. "My feeling on him hasn't changed. He's a great football player."

Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton will battle it out for the quarterback job and both are under contract, but the Bears are also intrigued with Louisville's Brian Brohm, Delaware's Joe Flacco and San Diego University's Josh Johnson.

"If the right guy were there, we would not be afraid to pull the trigger," Angelo said. "We've carried as many as four (quarterbacks) and normally three."