Top 5 Chicago Bears’ Draft Busts since 2000

5. Gabe Carimi, no.29 2011

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Gabe Carimi was a highly touted offensive tackle from Wisconsin. Local radio stations even asked if the Bears could trade offensive lines with the Badgers after a stellar 2010 season. Following that solid year, the Bears took one of the school’s greatest lineman, Gabe Carimi. Unofrtunately, he turned out to be a less-than average lineman who eventually turned into a headcase. Carimi left the team in a mutual agreement, and he eventually went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Carimi is now on the Atlanta Falcons and has been re-united with the Offensive Line Coach Mike Tice there. Carimi is still young, but his future doesn’t look too bright. Based on his mediocre play with the Bears, I just don’t see him turning into the Pro Bowler that many people expected him to be.

Carimi can still become a good player, but he’ll never be worthy of that first round pick that the team used on him. Luckily for him, it was so late in the first round that people didn’t expect him to be the next Orlando Pace, the player he took over for two seasons after Pace retired.