Bear Digest

How Chicago Bears draft success could really set some people off

Someone could be really angry if the Bears hit on some of their draft picks this year and could become really ugly if they trade back for even more picks and hit on those.
Gene Chamberlain|
The Bears made a big impact in the draft last year with their first round but the potential exists for much more this year, especially if they trade back.
The Bears made a big impact in the draft last year with their first round but the potential exists for much more this year, especially if they trade back. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The rave reviews for the Chicago Bears in free agency continued through their first week and the conclusion they are winners of the offseason once again also continued.

There are good reasons to believe this will be the case, but the best one is the fact they are only halfway through the process if they really are done with their main free agency emphasis.

Their $10.5 million in Monday's effective cap space, according to Overthecap.com, suggests they are likely done.

Drafting 10th overall isn't the reason they should be considered champions of the offseason, for whatever that's worth.

Rather, it's their entire cache of draft picks.

No other team has what they're looking at over the first two days of the draft.

This has to be eating away at Amon-Ra St. Brown, too. On his podcast with brother Equanimeous, St. Brown appeared totally upset the Bears had the ability to and did sign so much talent in free agency after stealing away his former offensive coordinator,  Ben Johnson, and receivers coach Antwaan Randle El.

"I feel like the Bears have unlimited (blank) ing money," St. Brown said. "(Excrement) is crazy. Joe Thuney, boom. Jonah Jackson, bang. Drew Dalman, bang. Dayo Odeyingbo, another crazy amount of money. Grady Jarrett, bang. They're just breaking everybody else. They have unlimited money, what the (blank) is this? (Excrement) got me hot. Ben is just making moves left and right."

He needs to get ready for Offseason Part II. The Bears have four picks in the first 72 and three in the first 41.

No team comes close to this. Maybe New England is next best with four in the first 77 but they have only two in the first 41 and the Bears have three. The Patriots have three in the first 69 but that's not quite four in 72 picks and their second round has only one pick in it.

Tennessee has two in the first 35 but then drops off into the 100s. Cleveland sits well for three picks in 67 but then not another until 94. Three picks in the first 70 for the Jaguars looks good but pick No. 4 drops down to 88.

There is a major hole in the middle of the Bears' draft, as there has been so often in the past. It comes when they have no pick in Round 4. There is a big drop from Round 3 at 72 to the Bears at No. 148 in Round 5. The decline in talent will be huge as this draft has been labeled as average or weak for overall talent, although strong in specific areas.

By that fifth pick, the Bears are looking at a much lower level of talent.

It's in this area where they could benefit from a trade down. Dropping down a spot or two could net them a fourth. They dropped one spot in 2023 and obtained a fourth from the Eagles when they could have drafted Jalen Carter instead of Darnell Wright. It was a win-win scenario, though Carter so far looks more dominant.

Trading back in Round 1 or even Round 2 could set up the Bears with the fourth-round pick they don't have because they sent it to Buffalo last year so they could pick Austin Booker in Round 5, after they had exhausted their supply of picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

If it's a first-round trade back, depending on how far they move back it's possible to completely set up Ben Johnson in one draft with the kind of depth they haven't had since they went to the Super Bowl, if not when they actually won one.

Even if they want a running back and can't get Ashton Jeanty, they could draft Omarion Hampton with a trade back, or if they go back too far they can find Kaleb Johnson or Quinshon Judkins in Round 2. They could find any number of edge rushers or offensive tackles in Round 1 by moving back several spots and acquiring an extra Round 3 or 4 pick. Offensive linemen like Grey Zabel, Tyler Booker, Kelvin Banks Jr. are all offensive linemen the Bears could find in Round 1 if they decided to drop down.

Kiper had them taking Josh Simmons from Ohio State at No. 10 but he seems alone among the top mock drafters in rating the Buckeyes tackle so high and it appears they could also get him by moving back.

If they felt like backing up in Round 1, they could easily find two high quality safeties to eventually replace Kevin Byard in Nick Emmanwori and Malaki Starks. Edge rushers like Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart and Mike Green might be there in Round 1 but Round 2 could have more edge rushers who fit their need for bigger players at the position and the running back supply runs on and on into Round 3.

What the Bears can do with a trade down, and what they have in this draft to a large extent already, is the opportunity to set Ben Johnson up in his very first season for success in years to come with great depth of talent.

Getting that gap closed in Round 4 or adding another third-rounder would fatten this haul.

Poles has been only so-so at drafting. He brought in only eight of their starters through three drafts, the rest coming in trades or free agency or by Ryan Pace's drafts.

The brought in more potential impact starters than in the last three signing periods, even though they had more money available last year and the previous year.

Perhaps Johnson's addition will add to that draft and the Bears will realize the kind of deep talent from one like they haven't had since early in the Jerry Angelo regime.

If so, imagine Amon-Ra's reaction then. It might shut down the internet.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.