The following is the second of a four-part weekly series that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how the Bears prepare for the NFL draft. It's also a companion piece to the video feature "Inside the Draft pt. 2."

Watch video: Inside the Draft pt. 1 | Inside the Draft pt. 2

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – A few months after they’ve played their final college games, top pro prospects begin a “second season” leading up to the draft that starts with the NFL Scouting Combine.

Bears running back Matt Forte participates in a drill at last year's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

In the middle of February, approximately 330 of the nation’s top draft-eligible college players are poked, prodded, timed, weighed and interviewed at the annual event in Indianapolis.

The Bears are well-represented at the job fair, which some have likened to a meat market. General manager Jerry Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and assistant coaches are joined by staffers from the college scouting, pro personnel and video departments as well as doctors and trainers.

While the NFL prospects are timed in the 40-yard dash, tested in cone drills and asked to bench-press 225 pounds as many times as they can, the Bears feel that two equally important elements of the Combine are the interviews and medical examinations.

Each NFL team conducts 15-minute interviews with 60 prospects they must choose in advance. Like their counterparts, the Bears interview players in a hotel suite, videotaping each session. Those generally in attendance include Angelo, Smith, director of college scouting Greg Gabriel, and the Bears' area scout, coordinator and position coach.

In the past, the Bears have taken players off their draft list because of a poor interview.

“[Coaches] have to work with these kids day-in and day-out and if they don’t think the personality and the intelligence level is going to work, we’re going to eliminate the guy,” Gabriel said. “We want to bring players in here that the coaches want to coach.”

The players also take the Wonderlic test, an exam of problem-solving ability that measures intelligence. Participants have 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. One of the questions might ask: "A train travels 20 feet in 1/5 second. At this same speed, how many feet will it travel in three seconds?"

After the Combine, draft prospects are evaluated at Pro Day workouts on their college campuses. The players are typically timed in the 40-, 20- and 10-yard dashes; tested in the broad jump, shuttle run and three-cone drill, and also do position drills.

"It gives you a chance to verify the measurables and just keep checking on character," said longtime Bears area scout Jeff Shiver, whose territory consists of seven Midwest states.

"Workouts have a place, but they don't have the pads on and it's at a different tempo. With the skill positions, you get to see them catch the ball a little bit more than you would in a practice or a game. You also get to see how well they pick up on doing different things."

The Pro Day workouts are an important part of the evaluation process.

“I believe in the measurables,” Smith said. “You can have a good player who can go to the NFL, and it catches up with him a little bit if he doesn’t have the type of speed and agility you’re looking for.

“We’re looking for athletic guys. We don’t put a premium on size. We put a premium on quickness, speed and agility. Most teams do that. But I’ve found that if you get a guy that’s willing to learn, with a great attitude and ability, you have a chance if you teach him and coach him the right way.”

NFL scouts typically cluster around the finish line of the 40-yard dash at Pro Days across the country.

Shiver always brings at least three stopwatches to every Pro Day.

"I always have a backup," he said. "I even have a backup to the backup. I've worn a few stopwatches out, but I never buy a cheapie. It's like a pair of glasses or shoes. You want to buy something you can get some wear and tear out of."

With prospects running the 40-, 20- and 10-yard dashes at the same time, the NFL scouts gather in a huddle and share times.

"We're all trying to rob the same bank so-to-speak," Shiver said.

While the scouts generally help each other, Shiver cautions against placing too much trust in information provided by a rival NFL team.

"You never know who's holding back or sand-bagging," he said. "If you've got a 4.6 on a guy and he says 4.5, you know he can't time or he's lying. There's no honor among thieves."

Shiver has seen it all in his 19 years with the Bears. He recalled how some smaller schools in the south years ago would try to fool scouts by marking off a 40-yard dash that was actually 39½ yards and by sliding a piece of tape down on a wall so players would appear taller.

The fastest prospect Shiver has ever timed was Tennessee wide receiver Sam Graddy, a gold medal sprinter at the 1984 Olympics.

"He ran in the 4.2s," Shiver said. "He walked past the line and said, 'I'm not stretched out yet.' I told him, 'That's OK, buddy, you just broke the sound barrier.'"

Despite his blazing speed, Graddy caught just 18 passes for 477 yards and 3 touchdowns in five seasons with the Broncos (1987-88) and Raiders (1990-92). "You could throw a ball at that wall over there," Shiver said, "and it would have about the same chance of catching it."