Ranking the Bears' 10 Best Draft Picks of the Last Decade

1. Charles Leno Jr., T - 2014

7th Round, 246th Overall

Before we all jump to conclusions and judge this selection, allow me a couple sentences to explain. In the 2014 NFL Draft, there were only 10 players selected later than Leno Jr. Players drafted in the 7th round are long shots to make the team, let alone see any long-term success. Leno has been in the NFL for 10 years now and has been a starter for all of them besides his rookie year. He made a Pro Bowl in 2018 with the Bears. In the five-year stretch from 2016-2020, Leno Jr. started every single game for the Bears at left tackle and missed zero time to injury.

Leno Jr. takes the top spot due to a combination of where he was selected and the position he plays. Successful left tackles are not just popping up in the seventh round every year. The hope with taking a player that late is that they can possibly contribute to a practice squad or become a depth piece. Leno Jr. was plugged into the left tackle spot his sophomore year with the Bears and has started at the position since.

Getting 102 games of left tackle play from the 7th round is unheard of and quite surprising that the Bears were able to do so given their track record in the draft.

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