Chicago Bears Draft: Evaluating tight end prospects

With less than two weeks to go before the 2019 NFL Draft, we check in on many of the tight end prospects for the Chicago Bears.

As Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears head into the 2019 NFL Draft, many fans believe they will find a way to add to the tight end position. Last year, the Bears went out and signed Trey Burton to a big deal, giving Mitchell Trubisky a big-time threat at tight end. However, beyond Burton, there isn’t much consistency.

This year’s tight end class is very deep, which means the Bears very well could find a solid value in the middle rounds, if they so choose. I figured we should take a glance at quite a few of the names to know out of this class, going by which round they’re projected to be drafted.

Before we get into some of this year’s prospects at the position, let’s take a quick look at what the tight ends did last year for the Bears.

Trey Burton: 54 receptions, 569 yards, six touchdowns

Adam Shaheen: Five receptions, 48 yards, one touchdown

Ben Braunecker: Three receptions, 42 yards

Dion Sims: Two receptions, nine yards

Daniel Brown: Zero receptions

Gone are both Sims and Brown, which aren’t huge losses for the team. Burton enjoyed a career year, thanks to his first opportunity to start as a pro.

It’s clear the Bears need to see a big step forward out of Shaheen this year, and hopefully his health is no longer an issue after a rough 2018 campaign. Aside from he and Burton, though, the Bears are thin. For that reason, it’s likely the team will draft a tight end. Let’s begin with options within the first and second round, should the Bears trade up.