We’re down to just hours before the 2020 NFL Draft officially begins in Las Vegas, NV virtually, giving teams yet another opportunity to improve their roster as the offseason marches on.
For Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace, this year’s draft will be his sixth and like most GMs, he’s found his share of diamonds in the rough while missing badly on top prospects.
But when you put each of his first five draft classes next to one another, how do they stack up? Below is a ranking of Pace’s worst to best draft classes between 2015 and 2019.
5) 2019 draft class
Key hits – None
Key misses – None
It seems a little unfair to rank the Bears most-recent draft class in last place, considering the players have only had one season to develop. But the truth is, none of the Bears five picks have shown they are true hits yet. They also relinquished their first and second-round picks when they traded for All-Pro outside linebacker Khalil Mack prior to the 2018 season.
Their first selection didn’t come until pick No. 73, trading up in the third round for running back David Montgomery. The former Cyclone was decent and definitely showed flashes throughout the season, but he wasn’t consistent enough and only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. He wasn’t bad by any means, but he wasn’t a standout. Most notably, he was the only rookie to play a significant amount of snaps.
Their next pick, wide receiver Riley Ridley, didn’t play a single down until Week 13 and failed to make an impact. Cornerback Duke Shelley, the Bears’ sixth-round pick, spent a large portion of the season inactive, and their pair of seventh-rounders in running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. and cornerback Stephen Denmark were released and spent the year on the practice squad, respectively.
It was a rough year for this rookie class, but the bright side for this group is Montgomery, Ridley, and Shelley will have more opportunities to prove themselves and take the next step in their careers in Year 2.
4) 2015 draft class
Key hits – DT Eddie Goldman, S Adrian Amos
Key misses – WR Kevin White, C Hroniss Grasu, RB Jeremy Langford
Pace tripped and fell out of the gates during his first draft when he selected wide receiver Kevin White with the seventh-overall pick. The 6′ 3″, 216-lb specimen who ran a 4.35 40-yard dash was supposed to take over for the recently-traded Brandon Marshall. Instead, the former West Virginia standout suffered a slew of injuries during his Bears career, playing in just five games from 2015-17. When he finally got healthy in 2018, White had been passed over and the writing was on the wall.
Their third-round pick center Hroniss Grasu was an undersized lineman who’s future as the team’s center disappeared when he broke his leg in the preseason in 2016. Running back Jeremy Langford, the team’s fourth-round pick, showed he may have been the guy to take the torch from veteran running back Matt Forte, but was ultimately passed up in Year 2 by rookie running back Jordan Howard. Pace’s final pick, offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje, lasted just one season as well. This class had misses, but in between them were gems that would become borderline pro-bowl players.
Nose tackle Eddie Goldman, selected in the second round, has become one of the most crucial pieces on a dominant Bears defense. He’s one of the key run stoppers on the defensive line and is an excellent compliment to defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. Safety Adrian Amos, picked in the fifth-round, developed into an effective defensive back and found success playing with safety Eddie Jackson. Amos signed a lucrative deal with the Green Bay Packers in 2019, but nonetheless, he was a great pick in the later rounds.
After stumbling with White, Pace found his footing with Goldman and Amos. But four misses compared with just two hits keeps this class in fourth place.
3) 2017 draft class
Key hits – S Eddie Jackson, RB Tarik Cohen
Key misses – QB Mitchell Trubisky, TE Adam Shaheen
We’ve spent countless hours bashing the selection of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, do we really need another paragraph to explain how bad of a miss this pick was? In short, Pace passed up a generational talent in Patrick Mahomes and a pro-bowl mainstay in Deshaun Watson for Trubisky, effectively keeping the Bears in quarterback purgatory.
In a vacuum, Trubisky hasn’t been as bad as people think, but because of who the Bears passed on, his shortcomings are magnified and will forever be Chicago’s Sam Bowie to Kansas City/Houston’s Michael Jordan.
Their next selection was worse, though, when they traded up to grab small-college tight end Adam Shaheen. “Baby Gronk” has taken a step back in each season so far and is hanging on to a roster spot by a shoelace. Trubisky and Shaheen are arguably the worst pair of first and second round picks in team history since 2002 when the Bears drafted offensive tackle Marc Colombo and defensive tackle Roosevelt Williams.
So why is this class ranked third? Pace’s next two picks on the final day of the draft helped make up for his blunders from the previous two days. Safety Eddie Jackson and running back Tarik Cohen, both fourth-round finds, became All-Pro players at their positions and incredible assets to the team. Jackson provided stability at safety, a position that has plagued the Bears for years. He’s a ball-hawking playmaker who just signed the richest deal ever for a safety. Jackson is Pace’s best draft pick and it’s not that close.
Cohen isn’t too shabby either. Once deemed too small to play in the NFL, the 5′ 6″ running back made a name for himself with his blazing speed and quick cuts out of the backfield and in the return game. He’s an effective pass catcher and brought a new dynamic to the Bears offense. Both he and Jackson are big reasons why the Bears returned to relevancy back in 2018.
2) 2018 draft class
Key hits – LB Roquan Smith, WR Anthony Miller, DL Bilal Nichols
Key misses – LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe, DE Kylie Fitts
This class is easily the most difficult to evaluate. On one hand, the 2018 draft class still has loads of potential across the board as players head into their third year. On the other hand, however, you can make the argument that most of the selections have not developed after showing strong potential in their rookie seasons. As of now, the potential is still there and there have not been any mammoth busts to speak of, keeping this class second from the top.
The selection of linebacker Roquan Smith was universally praised by experts, many expecting him to become the next great linebacker in the team’s storied history. Smith has shown quite a bit and aside from some hiccups, he’s on the trajectory to become a great defender for years to come. Pace’s second-round selections, however, are still a bit unknown.
Offensive lineman James Daniels has been average through two seasons and wasn’t able to make the switch to center prior to the 2019 campaign. Wide receiver Anthony Miller, their other pick on Day 2, was poised for a breakout year after totaling seven touchdowns during his rookie year, but struggled to play consistently last season and dealt with injuries. Both players still have high ceilings and will be expected to be key contributors next season, but the clock is ticking.
The other hits this draft include defensive lineman Bilal Nichols, who was drafted in the fifth-round. Like Miller, Nichols shined during his rookie year and claimed a starting spot next to defensive end Akiem Hicks in 2019. He dealt with injuries as well and needs to rebound this season. Wide receiver Javon Wims, the team’s final pick in the draft, has carved out a nice role for himself. He’s a big target in the passing game and on special teams.
Only one draft pick is no longer on the team (outside linebacker Kylie Fitts) and each player has a role to play. Linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe was seen as a reach on draft day and isn’t a player on defense, but has a spot as a key contributor on special teams. Overall, this class is very much unknown two years later. But given the potential and lack of true misses, they slide in as Pace’s second-best draft class.
1) 2016 draft class
Key hits – C Cody Whitehair, LB Nick Kwiatkoski, RB Jordan Howard
Key misses – LB Leonard Floyd, DE Jonathan Bullard, CB Deiondre’ Hall
The 2016 draft class is a good reminder that the more picks you have, the more hits you can have. It’s not the sexiest group of players and there aren’t any All-Pros like the 2017 draft, but it produced a number of solid starters and Pro-Bowlers. In fact, eight out of nine players who were drafted are still on an NFL roster as of April 22. The only player not on a roster is wide receiver Daniel Braverman, who last played for the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks.
This draft begins with linebacker Leonard Floyd and while he ultimately didn’t pan out as the dynamic pass rusher the Bears envisioned, he was still a decent player who excelled in certain situations. By all accounts, he is considered a bust, but he’s far from the worst miss Pace has had in the first round. The other two players who haven’t panned out are defensive end Jonathan Bullard and cornerback Deiondre Hall, both of whom have found opportunities with other teams.
But the Bears actually hit on five picks in this draft, beginning with second-round selection center Cody Whitehair. The former Kansas State Wildcat has become the anchor on the Bears offensive line. He hasn’t missed a game in his four-year career and has shown versatility by playing multiple positions. Their fourth-round picks of linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski and safety Deon Bush have turned into valuable contributors. Kwiatkoski had a breakout year last season, turning that production into a hefty payday with the Las Vegas Raiders. Bush has become a dependable special-teams player who has the chance to become a starter opposite of Jackson this season.
The other star of the 2016 class is running back Jordan Howard, selected in the sixth round. The former Hoosier quickly emerged as the Bears lead back and broke records held by Walter Payton. The bruising back was ultimately shipped out to Philadelphia with one year remaining on his deal following the 2018 season, but make no mistake, he was one of Pace’s best picks.
They may lack some star power but it’s a solid group from top to bottom and deserves to be recognized as Pace’s best draft class.
