Chicago Bears: Free agent targets to address needs after NFL Draft

Now that the 2020 NFL Draft is over, how can Chicago Bears general manager fill in the gaps via free agency? We have a few ideas.

The weekend is over and the 2020 NFL Draft is in the books. For the Chicago Bears, it was a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results. General manager Ryan Pace was likely to make a move or two within this draft, but hardly anyone thought it would mean trading up — twice.

To start with, the Bears stayed put in the second round. First, they grabbed the top tight end in this year’s class in Cole Kmet, the hometown kid out of Notre Dame. Tight end was a massive need, but not everyone thought they would address it so early.

Next up was the pick many thought Pace would deal. But, instead of trading back, the Bears kept the selection and brought in cornerback Jaylon Johnson out of Utah — whom I believe will end up being the steal of the draft. In Johnson, they have their second starter now and their secondary looks like it’s in pretty good shape.

From there on out, things got a little weird. Pace traded up twice in the fifth round, first going with pass rusher Trevis Gipson out of Tulsa. Edge rusher wasn’t exactly a big need, but adding depth to that spot was something that was within the realm of possibilities.

Pace went on to grab Kindle Vildor, a cornerback out of Georgia Southern, followed by wide receiver Darnell Mooney from Tulane, giving the team a trio of fifth-round picks.

In the seventh round, Pace grabbed two offensive linemen who look to be shots in the dark. The team did not have a sixth rounder due to the trades in the fifth.

Now, the question is, whom the Bears could look at to fill out the rest of the roster via another wave of free agency. There are still some positions of need, and lucky for the Bears, there are some interesting veterans available. Let’s take a look at a few of them.