Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: Crippling mistakes Ryan Pace must avoid
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace must stay away from running backs
This might be obvious, but the Bears are in a great position at running back. Last year, we saw a true breakout from David Montgomery, who deserves the bulk of the carries at running back. Going into his third year, the Bears are believing this guy can do what he did down the stretch in 2020, except for the entirety of the 2021 campaign.
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The Bears also have Tarik Cohen coming back from last year’s season-ending injury. Cohen’s return should help the Bears on third downs and in some of their more creative packages.
Then, there’s newly-signed Damien Williams, who gives the Bears what they desperately needed: a true backup running back. Cohen isn’t exactly the prototypical backup. He’s used in a variety of ways. Williams, though, is a guy who can be the prototypical backup the Bears have lacked.
Pace has a history of bringing in running backs either via the draft or undrafted free agents, but he doesn’t need to worry about that position this year. There’s no room for a Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce, Kerrith Whyte, etc. The Bears’ running back room is solidified. They are strong at the position, and wasting a draft pick would be a colossal mistake.
There are very few positions the Bears should completely avoid altogether, but running back is one of them. If they’re in the fifth round and a guy like Chuba Hubbard is still there, the pick would be awfully tempting, as he’s looked at as a mid-round pick. The temptation would be enormous. But, the Bears can’t do it. Pace has to stay put at running back.