Chicago Bears Credited With 3 of the Biggest Draft Steals of Last 25 Years

Three of the Chicago Bears' best picks since 2000 were recognized in a list picking the biggest draft steals of the last 25 years.

Former Chicago Bears Devin Hester. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There have been no shortage of draft misses for the Chicago Bears over the last 26 years, but a few of their successes are being recognized.

NFL Draft On SI's Justin Melo went over the biggest draft steal of each class since 2000 and the Bears were responsible for one of them, with Hall of Fame returner Devin Hester getting the nod for 2006.

Hester edged out Jacksonville Jaguars great and running back Maurice Jones-Drew and New England Patriots great and kicker Stephen Gostkowski, both of whom were the honorable mentions.

"Currently the lone Hall of Famer from the 2006 class, Devin Hester is the greatest special teams return ace of all time," Melo wrote. "Hester led the league in return touchdowns in six different seasons, and is the all-time record holder for the most career return touchdowns (20) and punt return touchdowns (14). The former Miami Hurricanes standout was enshrined in 2024 as the first return specialist to make the Hall of Fame.

Hester's career as a receiver was nothing to write home about, but he still made an impact in that area. His biggest contribution came as a returner, where Hester is widely viewed as the greatest ever, which is what puts him over the top versus Gostkowski and MJD.

Chicago also had two draft picks included in honorable mentions sections, including running back Matt Forte (2008) and wide receiver Luther Burden (2025).

Forte fell short to Arizona Cardinals great Calais Campbell and
Burden lost out to Seattle Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori.

There's no issue with Melo's choices here, although we'd say the jury is still out on the 2025 pick after just one season, something Melo agrees with in his write-up for Emmanwori.

Burden could surpass the Seahawks defender if he can continue ascending the way he did in the second half of last season, but Emmanwori is going to be extremely tough to pass because he has all the makings of an elite player.

Forte put together a strong career in Chicago with five 1,000-yard seasons and he was no doubt an elite dual-threat back during his prime. That said, there's no shame in falling short because of Campbell, who is a no-doubt Hall of Famer.