Chicago Bears 2019 NFL Draft Primer: Everything you need to know

1. Examining Needs

Heading into the offseason, there were projected to be five main needs for the Bears: Cornerback, safety, edge rusher, kicker, and running back. In free agency, the Bears brought in short-term help at the safety, cornerback, and running back position.

However, the Bears still have some needs. The Bears need to find a long-term solution at running back, safety, and kicker. While we don’t know who the Bears kicker will be in 2019, what we do know is that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Mike Davis are meant to be stopgap solutions until the team figures things out.

There are two positions, currently on the Bears roster which although don’t seem big, still need to be given careful consideration too. The Bears would be wise to explore looking at offensive line and tight end depth due to one main factor: Injuries.

On the offensive line, Kyle Long has missed 23 games between 2016-2018. Additionally, the Bears seem to be getting ready to move on from Long. Per OverTheCap, the Bears could save nearly $8.1 million dollars in 2020 if they decide to move on from Long.  This means the team needs to begin thinking about finding his replacement.

As for tight end, the Bears appear to be set with Adam Shaheen and Trey Burton, however, if one of them gets injured, the Bears will be bone-dry at the position. Shaheen missed half of the 2018 season with an ankle injury which stunted his growth, while Burton was inconsistent at times last season.

Although the Bears brought back Aaron Lynch on a one-year deal, the team needs to think about figuring out who can be their third-string linebacker for the foreseeable future. In other words, there’s no point in trying to bring in a new edge rusher each year. The easiest thing to do is just find a permanent solution to a relatively small problem.

Overall, the Bears major needs are safety, running back, and kicker. Minor needs include tight end and offensive line depth. And then, one avenue the team needs to explore is finding someone who can permanently backup Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd.