LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Brian Urlacher might be "Mr. Everything," a freak of nature, an athletic renaissance man. He might be able to play linebacker, return punts, catch passes and -- who knows? -- maybe give the Cubs some help with middle relief.

He led his team in tackles and touchdown receptions last season. And an African-American newspaper columnist suggested recently the guy's athleticism might actually be underrated because he's white.

The Chicago Bears would just like their first-round draft choice to do one thing: become an NFL outside linebacker worthy of the ninth pick overall.

"To ask him to learn the (strong-side outside) linebacker position and play in the nickel package is a lot to ask a rookie," Bears coach Dick Jauron said.

If Urlacher wants to talk about his days at the University of New Mexico, where he was on the field for almost 100 plays per game, the Bears will listen to him -- sometime other than his rookie year.

"If he performs up to expectations, then you wouldn't mind listening," Jauron said. "But if he plays up to expectations, do you want to put him at (extra) risk?"

Urlacher said he wasn't counting on playing offense or special teams in the NFL, anyway. He'll have enough on his mind. Because it's Chicago and because the position is linebacker, the names Butkus and Singletary came up Saturday, not to mention the last linebacker the Bears drafted in the first round, Wilber Marshall in 1984.

"All you ever hear about is Singletary and Butkus and how good they were," Urlacher said. "It's a dream come true. Hopefully, I can carry on the tradition."

This had better be a markedly improved defense for the Bears, who were 29th last season in yards allowed. They spent $46.5 million in the free-agent market to land end Phillip Daniels and cornerback Thomas Smith. The tab comes to about $50 million when you throw in safety Shawn Wooden. Based on last year's ninth pick, Urlacher figures to earn a multi-year package worth around $9 million.

Then, in the second round, with the 39th pick overall, the Bears took another safety -- Nebraska's Mike Brown. Vice president of player personnel Mark Hatley said he tried to trade down in the second round, but he added that the Bears were happy with Brown. He is undersized but a first-team All-America and an Academic All-America who will be able to learn a difficult position quickly.

In a division that just added Keyshawn Johnson at Tampa Bay, the Bears have bulked up on defense. After the second round, Hatley joked that offensive coordinator Gary Crowton was feeling neglected in the draft room.

"He walked out and said, 'Third round's next, huh?'" Hatley said.

The Bears will have four new starters on defense. They said Urlacher was an easy decision.

"When the scouts first told me about him, I thought they were joking," defensive coordinator Greg Blache said. "He has exceptional speed for a linebacker."

Any suspense at Halas Hall, the team's headquarters, was gone one pick earlier when the Steelers took Michigan State receiver Plaxico Burress. Had the Steelers taken quarterback Chad Pennington, as some thought they might, the Bears would have had an interesting decision to make.

"It would have been a tough pick if both were there," said Mark Hatley, Bears vice president of player personnel. "They were awfully closely graded."

Hatley said the Bears did have discussions about moving up higher than the ninth pick, but he said they never offered their second-round pick. Baltimore and Philadelphia, he said, were asking for too much.

Once Baltimore took Jamal Lewis at No. 5, Hatley said he felt safe. The Bears would get one of the three players they had targeted -- Burress, Urlacher or running back Thomas Jones -- or defensive tackle Corey Simon, who would have been a steal at No. 9.

New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher takes a phone call from his new team, the Chicago Bears.(AP)

Urlacher is the first player from New Mexico drafted in the first round since linebacker Robin Cole, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick in the 1977 draft. Urlacher's only scholarship offer was from New Mexico. He went to high school in the small town of Lovington, N.M. Colleges doubted he would get much bigger and his school, while successful, wasn't a well-known producer of talent.

But Urlacher grew up to 6-feet-3, 249 pounds. He played safety in college, but was the defensive most valuable player in the Senior Bowl as a linebacker.

"I think the biggest reason I'm unknown is because we don't get a lot of publicity out here in New Mexico," Urlacher said. "The reason I'm here is because of my work ethic."

Hatley said it showed on video and in workouts.

"If you go out and watch the kid practice, a kid with that size and that much speed, that much ability to change direction and drop his weight, you get pretty excited about him," Hatley said. "From sideline to sideline, he sure makes a lot of plays. He's going to make some big hits while he's a Bear."