Chicago Bears: Bold predictions for the 2019 NFL Draft

2. The Bears will draft a player that nobody expects them to

Although there are positions on the Bears roster like wide receiver that aren’t necessarily needs, if the Bears feel like going with the best player available on the board is the way to go, then it’s fair to expect the team to pull the trigger on a guy like Riley Ridley or Jace Sternberger.

Both of the names mentioned above have met with the Bears and have the potential to be future starters. While it does make sense to draft based on need, Ryan Pace has shown that he’s interested in adding as many impact players to the roster as he can, whether it is on offense or defense.

History shows that when Pace selects a player that nobody expects the Bears to take, there’s a good chance that player ends up becoming an underrated addition to the team. In 2018, a major example of this was Bilal Nichols who the Bears found in the fifth round.

Looking at the Bears roster right now, there aren’t necessarily any major needs that have to be addressed, however, even if the team is willing to find a guy that they can groom to be a future starter one or two years down the road. Drafting for the future is especially important as it allows the Bears to keep bargain players on cheap contracts.