The Chicago Bears didn’t have a selection in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, but the results from the top 32 picks have created a fantastic opportunity for general manager Ryan Pace to add a starting-quality player in the third round.
In fact, the talent that’s fallen out of the first round could cause the Bears to get aggressive and attempt to move into the second round to secure one of the many first-round worthy players who’ve fallen.
One of the position groups the Bears are expected to address Friday is cornerback. No one could’ve predicted LSU’s Greedy Williams, Washington’s Byron Murphy and Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin would all still be on the board to start Day 2, while other highly-rated prospects like Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye, Michigan State’s Justin Layne and Clemson’s Trayvon Mullen also wait for their names to be called.
The slide for Williams and Murphy will push many of the previously considered early-Day-2 guys into the middle or late portion of the second round, which might be a close-enough range for Pace to pull off a trade.
Another position group Chicago will target is running back, whether it be in the third or fourth round. Only one running back was selected in the first round (Josh Jacobs, Raiders), and with the way the first round trended, it looks like the position, in general, is going to experience a slide.
Most of the value in this year’s class is at the offensive and defensive lines, and teams appear deadset on addressing those units with their early selections. That trend will continue in the second round, too.
Players like Florida’s Jawaan Taylor, Oklahoma’s Cody Ford and Kansas State’s Dalton Risner are all on the board and will be priority picks to start the second round. The result? Running backs will continue to fall. And that’s a great thing for the Bears.
Another position to keep a close eye on for Chicago is wide receiver. It isn’t a weakness on the roster, but there’s so much talent sliding right now that, if Pace sticks to the best-player-available philosophy, could choose to go off the beaten path and select a player like Deebo Samuel (South Carolina) if he drops into the third round.
Bottom line? The Bears are going to get a really good player, no matter how the second round plays out when they’re on the clock at No. 87.
