Chicago Bears 2019 NFL Draft Primer: Everything you need to know
By Usayd Koshul
With the NFL Draft finally here, we’ll breakdown everything you need to know about the Chicago Bears and the 2019 NFL Draft.
As Ryan Pace gets ready to begin his fifth NFL Draft as General Manager of the Chicago Bears, he’ll have a different task to do this year. Unlike the years 2015-2018, where the Bears have picked in the top ten every single year signaling the Bears, were in rebuild mode, this year, Pace has to draft to make the Bears a Super Bowl contender.
Over the last few years, when it came to the NFL Draft, the Bears had multiple draft picks which meant that they could draft more players, but also move up and down the board as they saw fit. Essentially, this flexibility and plethora of draft picks allowed the Bears to acquire talents like Leonard Floyd, Mitchell Trubisky, and Anthony Miller.
However this year, Pace will have just five draft picks at his disposal:
- Round three: 87th overall
- Round four: 126th overall
- Round five: 162nd overall
- Round seven: 222nd and 238th overall.
The key thing to understand here is that with just one day two pick and four day three picks, Pace will need to get more creative than over if he’s to land someone he really likes. Additionally, the Bears will need to be careful as to how they spend their draft capital. The team has little room for error.
Another key thing to note here is that Pace, despite freeing up cap space in free agency, didn’t make any major moves. What this means is that he’s likely going to save his “splash move” of the offseason for the draft.
As the Pace gets ready to lead his fifth NFL Draft, what are some needs the Bears have? Also, what are some prospects that would be realistic targets for the Bears at positions of need? What about adding depth to the roster? And since Pace has established a reputation of swinging for the fences and moving all over the draft board, what are some teams he could look to trade with?
Welcome to Da Windy City’s official 2019 NFL Draft Guide. We’ll breakdown everything you need to know about the Chicago Bears 2019 NFL Draft.