LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears on Tuesday continued to sign their draft picks at a record pace, inking third-round linebacker Michael Okwo and fourth-round guard/center Josh Beekman to four-year contracts. Terms were not disclosed.

The Bears have now signed seven of their nine 2007 picks, with Okwo and Beekman following third-round running back Garrett Wolfe, fifth-round safety Kevin Payne, fifth-round cornerback Corey Graham, seventh-round cornerback Trumaine McBride and seventh-round offensive tackle Aaron Brant.

Michael Okwo was selected by the Bears with the 94th overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Only Chicago's top two picks, first-round tight end Greg Olsen and second-round defensive end Dan Bazuin, remain unsigned.

Prior to Tuesday, the five Bears rookies accounted for half of the 10 draft picks league-wide who had signed contracts. At this time last year, only two NFL draft picks were in the fold.

A year ago, the Bears became the first NFL club to sign all of their picks when they inked second-round safety Danieal Manning and third-round defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek on July 6.

"I'm really excited that it's all over and done with and now I can focus on the next chapter in my life, which is playing for the Chicago Bears," Okwo said via telephone from California.

Athletic, quick and instinctive, Okwo possesses the ideal traits to play weakside linebacker in the Bears defense. Starting nine of 10 games as a senior last season at Stanford, the 5-11, 232-pounder earned first-team All-Pac 10 honors after registering 95 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks.

“He kind of jumps out at you when you’re watching Stanford play,” Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel said after the draft. “He’s very athletic. He’s intense. He’s not the tallest guy, but he runs well. He’s very strong and explosive. He has great instincts and makes a lot of plays.”

Okwo compares favorably with 2006 fourth-round pick Jamar Williams and gives the Bears two promising outside linebackers who could be the heir apparent to the disgruntled Lance Briggs.

“[Okwo] is similar. Maybe [he has] a little quicker twitch,” Gabriel said. “Similar instincts, about the same speed. There’s not a big difference in their size as far as height. He gives us flexibility. It’s two good young players in the system.”

Okwo impressed coaches during the rookie minicamp May 4-6, but he is prohibited from participating in any other elements of the Bears' offseason program until mid-June when classes end at Stanford.

"As soon as I get in there, I'll have to put in a little double-time and make sure I catch up with everything that I don't get physically out on the field," said Okwo, who has been studying his playbook, lifting weights and running in the interim. "I have all the stuff mentally, but just putting it on the field is a whole different story."

Starting all 37 games during his final three seasons at Boston College, Beekman won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the most valuable blocker in the ACC as a senior in 2006 when he started 10 games at right guard and three at center.

On Tuesday, Beekman signed his contract in a Halas Hall conference room that is adorned with photos of Hall of Famers Dick Butkus, Red Grange, Sid Luckman, Walter Payton and Gale Sayers inking their deals with the team.

"It was very exciting," Beekman said. "It's the first process in becoming an NFL player and it's very exciting to know your worth and know that you are etched in history. Signing with the Chicago Bears was an exciting thing for me and I really can't wait to get to work even more because it reinvigorates you right when you sign."

The 6-2, 313-pound rookie brings youth to a Bears line that features five veteran starters in John Tait, Ruben Brown, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza and Fred Miller that have combined to play 46 NFL seasons.

"It's a great opportunity," Beekman said. "I've already learned a lot from watching those guys and from some of their instruction. Things you did in college were good enough to help you in college, but this is a whole different level of competition and it's a great blessing having those guys to watch and being able to pick their brain."