Brad Biggs: There’s hand-wringing over the Bears’ draft once again. Let’s just see how it all plays out.
CHICAGO — There was all sorts of hand-wringing going on a year ago when the Chicago Bears waited until the seventh round to choose a running back in a draft that was loaded with options. What in the world were they thinking? Why not take advantage at a position where there was need?
Kyle Monangai was the 22nd running back selected and went on to have the fifth-most rushing yards (783) and fifth-most touchdowns (five) of any rookie back, establishing a nice 1-2 combination with D’Andre Swift in the league’s third-ranked rushing offense. It was a good class overall for the Bears, especially on offense, and the synergy the front office had with a new coaching staff was evident. There’s no telling how members of this year’s draft class, which was completed Saturday with three selections — Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg — will fare in their first seasons.
None of the draft picks will pitch in much with the pass rush but the Bears — based on their actions — are telling you they believe they got better players than available prospects at spots at which clear needs still exist. What general manager Ryan Poles did get was the second safety in the draft class Thursday in Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and the first center off the board Friday in Iowa’s Logan Jones. The Bears got what they believe is a high-end blocking tight end in Sam Roush and a clear-out wide receiver with return ability in Zavion Thomas in Round 3.
They wrapped things up Saturday with three defensive players they believe have a chance to increase competition on a roster that’s going to be more difficult to make coming off an 11-6 season. How’s it going to all work out? We’ll have to sit back and wait for some results.
Coach Ben Johnson was preparing for his second season as offensive coordinator in Detroit in 2023 when the Lions drafted running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round and used a pair of second-round picks on tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch. At the conclusion of the draft, NFL. com gave the Lions draft a C-plus — the worst grade distributed to any team in the league.
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