After arriving a year early, and acquiring a franchise linebacker in Khalil Mack, the Chicago Bears are ready to rumble.
State Of The Team
The Chicago Bears went from a team that was rebuilding last season. They skipped the whole trending up stage and immediately turned themselves into contenders. With Mitch Trubisky set for year three in the NFL and year two of Matt Nagy and Khalil Mack still in his prime, this team has the potential to compete with any team next year.
Total Draft Picks
The Chicago Bears currently have only five picks in the 2019 NFL Draft:
Round 3: Pick 87
Round 4: Pick 126
Round 5: Pick 156
Round 7: Pick 222
Round 7: Pick 238
Top 3 Draft Needs
Guard: Kyle Long took a pay cut and for good reason as he has struggled to stay healthy over the past three seasons. While he will be penciled in as a starter heading into the year, the Bears are going to have to replace him as soon as possible.
Running Back: The Bears plan to trade Jordan Howard and add a running back who is better at catching out of the backfield. They are hoping that between a rookie, Mike Davis and Tarik Cohen that they have plenty of versatility in their backfield, as well as a cheap runner for the next four seasons.
Outside Linebacker: Despite adding Khalil Mack, the team currently has no depth behind him. Leonard Floyd is a free agent this year and has not quite lived up to the hype. Whether it be competing with Floyd or providing depth, there is a need.
Top 3 Draft Targets
Miles Sanders
RB, Penn State
Miles Sanders has consistently been connected to the Bears since before the combine. He brings a complete package and met with the team at the combine, as well as during a private workout in Chicago.
Trayveon Williams
RB, Texas A&M
Trayveon Williams has also met with the Bears twice so far this offseason. He is a bit smaller than Sanders but his pursuit in pass protection has to give NFL evaluators excitement.
Alex Bars
OG, Notre Dame
Lastly, the team brought in offensive guard Alex Bars at the combine. Bars is recovering from an ACL, but came from Notre Dame, where offensive line coach Harry Hiestand coached two years ago. The Bears could discount on an injured player that they are very familiar with.
Decision Maker (Or Who To Blame If Things Go Wrong)
The success of whatever running back they draft may get tied to Matt Nagy. This will be the first running back that the offensive genius picks for his own, and he is running Jordan Howard, a fan favorite out of town. If it goes well, Nagy earns trust that positions him for a long time.
If not, here come the pitchforks.
Otherwise, the success and failure falls on Ryan Pace. Pace has done a tremendous job of rebuilding this roster, but still gets heat from naysayers. A huge draft this year without many resources would give them a lot less to say.
Best/Worst Pick In Current Draft Slot
Historically, who was the best pick and/or the worst pick based on where the team is currently picking.
Picking 87th overall, most picks in this slot are going to be considered a miss. If that pick can make a roster or two, it is not considered bad. In fact, since 2006 the only three names to get to a second NFL contract at pick 87 are Eric Decker, Phillip Gaines, and Nick Vigil. Fine players, but nothing overly spectacular either. It is worth mentioning that Matt Nagy and the Chiefs took Kareem Hunt 86th overall in 2017.
More at Bear Goggles On
