No First Round Pick? No Problem

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Starting Things Off

Within this article, I will be discussing my preview and thoughts regarding the Chicago Bears and the 2020 NFL Draft. We are exactly one week away from the first round of the draft, otherwise known as "Draft Day". Draft Day has always been my favorite day of the year. Like many other avid fans, I spend a great deal of time observing players, checking experts' mock drafts, monitoring interviews, and so on. It is a process that takes months to go over, it typically starts the moment the season ends. It feels like it takes years for the day to finally arrive, and when it does, it is a thrill. The excitement, anticipation, and drama of the draft just make the event completely worthwhile. Best of all, it is a perfect cherry on top when you have close friends/loved ones who also heavily invest in the draft, as well. However, the lead-up for Draft Day just is not the same for Bears fans and the entire NFL community in 2020.

My Brother, Friends, and I Together In 2018 Watching The First Round Of The NFL Draft At My House

As far as the NFL community, well, given the unfortunate pandemic that is occurring in our world at the moment, the draft experience has completely changed for everyone involved. This includes fans, draft prospects, coaches, front office personnel, etc., as all parties involved must stay home. Typically, the draft is held at a large venue filled with thousands of fans partaking in the festivities, including watching NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and others arrive up to a podium to announce the team's selections. Unfortunately, due to safety precautions, the draft will be, per reports, completely virtual. General Managers league-wide will make their picks and transactions at their home offices, and Goodell will announce the picks from his home, as well.

How The Bears Stand Heading Into Thursday

On less-prominent note, the draft will be different for Bears fans as well. For the second consecutive year, the Bears will not have a first round selection at their disposal thanks to the Khalil Mack trade in 2018. I love Khalil Mack, and I still believe the deal was worth it (so far), but it slightly sucks that we will not be a part of the first round excitement (more on that later). However, unlike last year, the Bears will have a second round pick. In fact, the Bears will have two second round selections, #43 and #50 overall, thanks to Mack trade. While they may not be first rounders, it still gives the Bears a chance to land an impact player. Potentially someone who is a first-round talent, but falls out of the first round. I will admit since the Bears do not have a first rounder, I do not pay as much attention to the draft and its prospects as I typically do. However, that does not mean that I do not have a strong desire for the Bears to draft certain players. I know who and what I want for the Bears, and I am just as excited for the seven round craze to begin as ever.

As we all know, the Bears are in the midst of a crucial offseason. After finishing an absolutely marvelous and unforgettable 2018 season with a 12-4 division-winning record, the Bears responded with a disappointing 8-8 2019 season. Mitch Trubisky did anything BUT make a jump in progression as a third-year QB. Matt Nagy went from the 2018 Coach Of The Year to become the conductor of an embarrassingly broken offense. The defense, while still a top tier unit, lost essential pieces such as Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevethan, and Roquan Smith to injuries. They, of course, missed the playoffs and watched two of their division rivals win a combined three playoff games. Entering the offseason, the Bears knew they still had enough talent to attempt a comeback to reign the NFC North again. However, they had very little cap space to work with, an offensive coaching staff to retool, and a strong desire to fill their team needs to capitalize on any championship window they have. The Bears did work so far this offseason, replacing nearly all of their offensive coaches and signing free agents at key positions of need. Now, the draft is one week away, which means they (like all other 31 teams) have another chance to fill their needs and improve their roster. With that being said, it is time to finally dive into what I believe the Bears still have to do, what I want and do not want the Bears to do, and who I would like the Bears to select in this year's draft.

Chicago Bears 2020 Pre-Trade Draft Selections (Credit: Chicago Sun-Times)

What I Want To See Next Weekend

Above this paragraph are all of the picks the Chicago Bears have at their disposal this year. As previously mentioned before, they are short-handed all-around, but can still land an impact player. I believe their biggest remaining needs that they must aggressively fix are (in order) Offensive Line, Secondary help, and Wide Receiver. They have two picks in the second round but have three large needs to fill up. The thing I want them to do more than anything in this draft is to trade back with one of those two picks (preferably #50). Given Ryan Pace's (Bears General Manager) five-year draft history, it seems almost inevitable for him to trade back. He has done it in previous second rounds with Cody Whitehair in 2016 and (unfortunately) Adam Shaheen in 2017. Overall, Pace, as we know, has a large tendency to make trades during the draft. I do not see any scenario possible where he keeps those first two picks where they are at now and wait for three full rounds to make his next selection. I do not want to wait that long, and I know for damn sure Pace and the Bears do not want to sit on their hands and wait that long, too.

So let us assume that the Bears keep one of those picks (in this case: #43), trade #50 back with another team, and receive a later second round pick and a third rounder in return. This would be an ideal scenario for the Bears to attack their three biggest needs in proper fashion. Now, like most GM's, they draft with a "best player available" mentality. In case you do not know what that means, it is an extremely self-explanatory term. Regardless of who is available or what needs they wish to fill, they draft the player that the team personally believes is the best player. Ryan Pace has admitted before that he picks with that exact mentality, but as fans, we do not know any team's draft board and who they believe is the best player to choose from. With that being said, the best that anyone can do is speculate and cross your fingers on who they select.

Offensive Line

In 2018, the Chicago Bears had arguably reached their peak of the offensive line performance this century. According to NFL.com, the front unit gave up the 8th fewest sacks in the league, finished with two pro-bowl alternates in Cody Whitehair and former seventh rounder Charles Leno, and had positive reviews from rookie James Daniels, Bobby Massie, and team favorite Kyle Long. I could safely say that unit was the best Bears offensive line I have ever seen. While not prominent and credited enough around the league, they were a safe, dependable unit, and it finally seemed like for the first time this century that the team would have a good o-line now and for the future. One year later, the unit crumbled along with the rest of the offense. Kyle Long missed nearly the whole year and played the final game of his career after being put on IR during their bye week (insert crying emoji here), and Charles Leno and Bobby Massie became liabilities at each Tackle position. While James Daniels and Cody Whitehair did not have bad seasons, Matt Nagy started off the first few weeks with an unsuccessful swap of each player's positions. Whitehair played guard and Daniels played center, both played poorly enough where Nagy switched them back to their original position prior to Week 10 vs Detroit. Zoom into the offseason, the Bears had huge shoes to fill with Kyle Long's departure. They signed former Seahawks 2016 first round disappointment Germain Ifedi to a one-year deal, but they must do more. They not only need to give Running Back David Montgomery more open holes to run through and accelerate the run game but they absolutely need to give Nick Foles and/or Mitch Trubiksy some protection.

David Montgomery, Having A Common 0-Yard Gain vs The Saints (Credit: Chicago Sun-Times)

Unfortunately, we have another QB controversy on our hands. But I will not pretend that I want Trubisky to start, I am an advocate for Nick Foles, and the Bears must do anything in their power to help jim succeed in Chicago. The beauty of the Foles addition is that you cannot find a better quarterback with a better connection to the coaching staff than he does. Matt Nagy, John DeFilippo, Bill Lazor, the list goes on, and that tremendously benefits the Bears. They have the connections covered, now they must surround him with the best talent they can possibly acquire. In Philadelphia, where Foles had his only career success, he had one of the best o-lines a team could possibly ask for. I get it, the Bears will never have Philly's old o-line, not even close. However, they must do the best they can to protect him as much as possible. With all of this being said, I want the Bears to select an offensive lineman with their first pick in the draft. The guy that I am hoping the Bears are able to draft here is Michigan Guard Cesar Ruiz. Evaluating an offensive lineman is hard for a guy like me. Unlike other positions, offensive lineman typically does not have highlight videos on YouTube. Even then, (important note here), all highlight videos do is show the best of prospects, and not their weaknesses. However, based on the (in this case, small # of) videos I have seen, comparison to other Offensive Line prospects, and word from experts, Ruiz is the guy I hope Pace ends up drafting. Words such as gritty, stout, and quick are always associated with Ruiz. Most importantly, according to Sports Mockery, not only as he met with the Bears, but he has ties to new O-Line Coach Juan Castillo, as he coached Ruiz in his final year at Michigan. It is unlikely that Ruiz is on the board at #43 as his stock has risen in recent weeks. But he seems like a phenomenal fit with the Bears, and I will be keeping a close eye on his name next week.

Secondary Help

At this point, you've probably had enough of me talking about offensive lineman, how about we talk about some secondary help? After releasing our #2 Cornerback Prince Amukamara and letting Strong Safety Ha-Ha Clinton Dix sign with the Cowboys, the Bears are in need of two starters in their secondary. The Bears did add depth at each position by signing corners Artie Burns and CFL standout Tre Robertson, while also signing safety Jordan Lucas and bringing back Deon Bush. Bush has served as a decent backup at Strong Safety since being drafted in 2016. At Cornerback, the Bears have Kevin Tolliver, who showed some promise since becoming an undrafted free agent signing back in 2018. As of now, those two seem to be the favorites to start at either position. While that is excellent news for both players, the draft may present other plans.

While the Bears have a need at both positions, I would prefer the Bears to make an early selection with one of those positions only. With that being said, the guy that I hope the Bears add early for secondary help is Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn. This was an extremely tough call between him and Antoine Winfield Jr. Both players have prestigious NFL DNA in their body (Winfield's father is, of course, Antoine Winfield Sr., and Chinn's uncle is Steve Atwater) and both players have strengths in run support. However, Chinn's size, versatility, and appeal in videos are what make me want him the most. His biggest concern to me is the fact he played at the same conference that my school, Bradley University (Go Braves), is in, and we do not have a football team. Small school concerns are reasonable, it makes people wonder how players like Chinn would fare at a larger school. Despite that, I am a believer in his talent and rising stock. But regardless, will be a happy camper if the Bears take him or Winfield in the draft. All Chicago has to do is find the perfect complement to the ball-hawking, all-around talent of starting Free Safety Eddie Jackson and they should be in good hands.

Wide Receiver

Last but certainly not least, I bring my attention to the need of a Wide Receiver. To me, this is the most underrated team need that the Bears currently have. Remember when I previously said that the Bears must do anything in their power to help Nick Foles succeed in Chicago? Well, this is the part where they need to give him another pass-catcher or two to solidify his weapons. The Bears currently have their #1 Receiver spot locked down with Allen Robinson, their focus should be finding a way to give him a contract extension before the season starts. However, the #2 Receiver spot has question marks surrounding it. The Bears do have 2018 second rounder Anthony Miller on board, and if anyone truly knows me, they know I am a big fan of him. He showed great flashes as a rookie (seven TD's while playing with a shoulder injury) and played well in the bottom half of last season. He is already a proven route runner and his toughness and grit are off the charts. However, I am not fully comfortable having him be the undisputed option behind Robinson. If utilized properly and healthy, Miller can be a fantastic receiver, but I believe they need to add another body at the top of the receiving depth chart just in case. This is especially evident after the release of Taylor Gabriel, as the Bears are in dire need of speed in this offense. Fortunately, the batch of Wide Receiver draft prospects is considered to be very deep this year. This is a perfect position to go for after the Bears (assumingly) trade back. There are a handful of receivers I have been paying attention to, but the one player that I am focusing on the most is TCU's Jalen Reagor.

TCU Wideout Jalen Reagor, Running Past A Dallas University Defensive Back (Credit: Forbes)

You want speed, versatility, and explosiveness? Well look no further, Reagor's got you. When watching videos of him, he immediately jumped out to me. The dude is a speedy, dynamic 5'11" receiver who is unafraid to jump up and grab high contested throws. Like many others, I know that he would greatly bring life into the Bears offense. The only real sources of speed and shiftiness the Bears currently have are Cordarelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen. Both are special team phenoms and threats whenever the ball is in their hands. However, Cohen is a Running Back and was failed to be used properly by Matt Nagy in 2019. Patterson, while also underused, has proven that he is not a volume receiver, hence why he is always on the lower part of the depth chart. So this is where the Bears would be wise to not only add another weapon for Nick Foles, but bring someone who can be a potential difference-maker for the offense.

What I Don't Want To See Next Weekend

So, with these last few paragraphs, I have discussed what I want the Bears to do in this draft. Next, I will discuss what I do NOT want the Bears to do in this draft. First and foremost, I would prefer the Bears to not draft a Tight End early. This is mainly due to the fact that the Bears signed Jimmy Graham to be their starting Tight End in free agency. More importantly, the Bears have an absolutely packed Tight End room with 10 of those players on the current roster. You read that correctly, 10 Tight Ends are currently on the active roster, wow. Pace will surely cut 3/4 of those guys before the season starts, but I would prefer them to not add another body in that room early on. If the Bears draft a Tight End in the second round, such as Notre Dame's Cole Kmet (Go Irish), I will not be fully happy. Not that Kmet is a bad player by any means, but the Bears should wait until later on to draft one. The only understanding thought if they draft one early is because Tight Ends take time to develop, it would be wise to draft one now when the 33-year-old Jimmy Graham retires, they could have a young heir in Kmet ready to play. But that is a scenario that I hope the Bears are not involved in next week.

Most importantly, for the love of God, do not draft a QB with their first three selections. I repeat: DO NOT DRAFT A QUARTERBACK WITH THEIR FIRST THREE SELECTIONS! The Bears have a competition between Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky, so why spend an early pick on someone who will be a third-stringer this year? More importantly, I do not want them to draft a QB early with the current regime and their status. It is safe to say that Nagy and Pace are on the hot seat, the pressure is high on them and their team to perform well this year. They must find players with the best chance to make an impact this year. Because let's say (knock on wood) all hell breaks loose, the Bears fall off a cliff, and the whole regime gets fired at seasons end. BUT...we have an early round quarterback on the roster that is attached to the previous regime. Why do that? When a new regime enters an organization, they typically tend to build a coaching staff that well suits the team's starting quarterback. If the Bears do have a new regime next year, I would want them to draft a new quarterback within the first two rounds of the 2021 draft with a new coaching staff and how they want to play. I am not opposed to drafting a QB in the sixth or seventh round this year because they are not expected to do much right off the bat and in the immediate future. But the focus in 2020 should remain solely Trubisky and Foles, and that is it. If there is any QB I would like, it would be the enticingly athletic Jalen Hurts out of Oklahoma, but it would be in Chicago's best interest to not draft a QB early. Not only that, but I also do not want the Bears trade into the first round for a QB, or any other position for that matter.

In Conclusion

Overall, I just want the Bears to attack their immediate needs of an Offensive Lineman, Cornerback or Safety, and Wide Receiver. After that, go ahead and take care of lesser needs, such as Inside Linebacker, Quarterback, Pass Rusher, Tight End, and Running Back. Of course, no matter what I say or believe, I am no NFL GM (although that would be pretty sweet). Ryan Pace and his staff have their own thoughts and plans for the draft, and as fans, we must accept that. We have absolutely no clue what is in store for us. It gives us a reason to be excited and a reason to be nervous. All we can hope for is the Bears to not only draft the right players but have a proper plan to develop these players to the best of their abilities. No matter who they draft, I look forward to getting to know those players and see what they potentially offer to Chicago.

If you actually read this whole thing, pat yourself on the back because you are a gem.

Thank you, and Bear Down!