The Chicago Bears' 2021 draft class is often pointed to as a source of frustration based on the consistent misses with the team's first three selections. While the later round picks aren't held against the franchise, it is hard to argue that Justin Fields was anything short of a franchise-altering mistake. While changing these decisions would've prevented the franchise from finding Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams as their eventual leaders, it is still fun to look back and consider what could have been.
With this in mind, let's look at what Chicago should've done with each of its first three selections, understanding that the pick made must still be on the board when Chicago's number was called and taken within ten spots of who the Bears chose, leading us to the first 2021 Bears selection.
Round 1 Pick #11 Justin Fields
Fields is currently backing up Patrick Mahomes after another failed tenure as a starter with the New York Jets. The quarterback remains supremely talented but lacks the most important trait, and that is being a consistent decision-maker. If the franchise had to do it all over again, there is little debate that Fields wasn't worth a top 11 pick. Looking at the decisions made after Fields was taken off the board the obvious selection is Micah Parsons.
The Dallas Cowboys selected the star pass rusher only one spot after the Bears took Fields in what would've been an incredible addition to Chicago's defensive core. It is hard to imagine the Bears would've been bad enough to make the needed changes with Parsons, but it is also undeniable just how elite the current Chicago roster would be if Parsons had been the choice.
Round 2 Pick #39 Teven Jenkins
Jenkins was an undeniable miss but selected in the middle of what has proven to be an underwhelming group of players. The one exception is corner Asante Samuel Jr., who prior to injury, was among the league's more consistent starting options at the position. Putting Samuel Jr. in Chicago's defensive core would've been a solid move and offered the franchise a chance to find a long-term contributor.
With that said, it is hard to be as judgmental on the Jenkins selection when you look at the mid-to-late second-round decisions and realize just how few teams were able to find impact pieces at this phase of the draft.
Round 5 Pick #151 Larry Borom
Borom wasn't a bad idea in theory, with the franchise badly needing offensive line depth. However, things didn't work out as planned, and the right decision in this spot would've been current Kansas City Chiefs tackle Jaylon Moore. The veteran lineman was selected four spots after Borom and was the better depth piece, one that could've been a building block for the current offensive line.
No question, Borom wasn't a fit for Chicago and was yet another example of a mistake in the 2021 draft class. One that it is difficult to look back on and realize just how many misses there were for a franchise that, five years later, turned the corner.
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