Chicago Bears: Top 10 draft busts of the 21st century

The Chicago Bears are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, but the last 18 years have not always been kind around draft time.

As we approach the 2018 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears are amidst an exciting offseason for the first time in a while. The organization has a head coach full of passion whom players are already behind. The quarterback position is locked and loaded with a kid who possesses those same characteristics.

Led by Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky, this team is headed for some fun times. The upcoming draft should help solidify some remaining holes in the roster, but overall, the Bears are in much better shape than they were even a year ago.

Unfortunately, as Bears fans, we know that it hasn’t always been this way. In fact, more often than not in the last two decades, it’s been the polar opposite. Draft day has always filled fans with hope, but rarely has that hope lasted in the 21st century.

Aside from some dominant years defensively, the draft has not been kind to the Bears — especially early rounds. With the much-anticipated day approaching quickly, I am going to take a brief look at the top 10 draft busts since the year 2000.

It is kind of sad for the Bears to have so many players under these qualifications, but I must give context to this list. In order to be considered a bust in this case, the player must have been drafted within the first two rounds — it’s that simple.

Before I begin, let me say this: Let this leadership team learn from history. We can always look back and laugh, cry or complain — but, let our beloved organization choose to look forward, and hopefully, learn from these past mistakes.