Chicago Bears: Comparing 2019 NFL Draft to NFC North rivals

Chicago Bears

Finally, onto the Chicago Bears. The one, true King. Alright, enough Game of Thrones references. I am viewing this draft and not the 2020 draft in a way that I feel has to be done. The Bears did not have a first or second-round pick, but they traded them last year for star players.

Khalil Mack counts towards this draft more than the 2020 draft (where the Bears also traded away that first in the deal). I am saying this now because we cannot count him when analyzing the 2020 draft at all in my opinion. Now, Mack, at his age and salary is still better than any EDGE in the 2019 draft. This is a big win in my book.

The second round pick they traded away was involved in a deal to move up for Anthony Miller. Personally, I think Miller will be the top wide receiver on this team if his shoulder holds up now after surgery.

Now let us get onto the actual picks. The Bears moved up in the third by trading away their fifth-round pick and 2020 fourth in order to move up 14 spots and select running back David Montgomery. The Patriots were the trade partners in the deal. They moved back 14 spots and sent along a 2019 sixth rounder.

Montgomery is going to be an amazing back for the Bears. Analytics say he is unathletic, but if you look at the tape, you can see he is extremely elusive. He is nothing like Jordan Howard, despite what some people might say.

The Riley Ridley pick was a “best player available” pick. That is what you do when you build your team properly. Wide receiver was not a need. However, he is a solid depth piece that should help in the future. If anything, he just needs to outproduce Kevin White to be a successful fourth receiver on the team.

Duke Shelley in the sixth round is another pick that I can get behind. He had a higher draft grade if not for a toe injury that kept him out of being invited to the Combine. He is a short guy who will only be a slot corner, but that role is ever expanding in today’s heavy passing league. Kerrith Whyte should fight for the Taquan Mizzell role and Stephen Denmark is a project who has the potential of making the 2020 roster after a year on the practice squad.

Thinking of the draft as Khalil Mack, Anthony Miller, David Montgomery, Riley Ridley and others is a clear A. Since people will complain I am doing that with Mack and Miller, I will grade just the picks themselves. Even with only a limited amount of picks, this team is closer to a Super Bowl on offense than they were in 2018, the defense should only regress slightly with little turnover.

Grade: B