Best Player Over Need for Bears

In the 1970s during the Tom Landry-Tex Schramm-Gil Brandt era, America's Team got credit for the phrase "best available athlete" during the NFL draft.

The idea was Dallas took a player who might not be an immediate need because they were thinking two, three or four years down the road.

It became trendy.

The idea didn't die with the advent of free agency in 1993 either, because now free agency can cover up holes a team has and the draft really can be used for building through taking the best athlete regardless of need.

So when Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham talked about the draft Tuesday in place of GM Ryan Poles, and team needs came up, there was that phrase again.

"Yeah, I think that's what we always do is try to take that best player available approach," Cunningham said. "I think the whole needs thing kind of—it's funny, Ryan and I were having this conversation earlier.

"Those needs kind of get ironed out with the whole process, but ultimately it's the best player available."

If this really is the case, then shouldn't the Bears draft running back Bijan Robinson if he hasn't been taken already at No. 9, or defensive tackle Jalen Carter if he falls so far?

There can be little doubt those two really are best athletes available.

No matter what, need enters the picture somewhere when you're a 3-14 team that has gaping lineup holes like the Bears.

The Bears need an offensive tackle. They need defensive line help. Certainly anyone playing those positions who sit atop their draft board would get consideration before they might take a best athlete at some position they might have well stocked, like wide receiver or linebacker.

Cunningham said need enters more into the picture later in the draft.

"I think when you get into Day 3 and you kind of look at the board horizontally, you see some positions are maybe a little bit more robust (more talent) than others," he said. "And I think that's where you kind of have to finesse it a little bit in terms of saying, 'OK, this stack.'

"Obviously you don't want to take somebody way down the board versus somebody higher, but when you look at it horizontally, it helps with some of that decision-making."

Cunningham thinks the number of truly elite players in the top end of this draft is limited.

"I'd say anywhere from six to eight," Cunningham said.

Wouldn't you know it? The Bears have the ninth pick, just out of reach. Funny how that always happens.

Jerry Angelo used to say all the time the supply was dropping at about where the Bears picked. It made it seem they were right on the cutting edge of the talent drop. It can't hurt for people to think this if your pick happens to go bust.

There is a huge gaping hole in this Bears draft after No. 9 until No. 53 in Round 2 and it is in here where the Bears could lose out on talent at "need" positions, especially offensive tackle, if they take someone at a different position in Round 1.

The supply of truly talented tackles might not hold up at tackle until 53.

So it's been suggested by no less than Poles earlier this offseason that they could trade up on Day 2 to close that gap. They could also obtain an extra pick then by dealing down in Round 1, but from the way they are going to decide whether to get another pick in this spot it really sounds like trading up is the consideration.

"That's something we'll revisit after Day 1 and see where the dust settles," Cunningham said. "We'll meet after the draft that (Thursday) night, and then we'll come back in on Friday and meet again and see where the board is and we'll make those decisions then."

Emphasis on "after" Day 1.

The Bears don't grade players according to round, according to Cunningham. They don't project a player as a first-round pick or give him a second-round grade.

"We grade kind of with role and what their role is going to be for us and with their specific position," Cunningham said. "So we don't grade for rounds."

In other words, they get a Bears grade and it's a score based on what the player's role would be with the Bears.

I’ve had a bunch of teams tell me Bijan Robinson and Jalen Carter are the best players in the draft, and that Robinson is in the class of Saquon Barkley and Zeke Elliott. So Thursday night will be a great litmus test on the extent to which RB value has deteriorated. https://t.co/K372vPz3vX
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 26, 2023

So considering the fact running backs around the league have lost value to teams, Cunningham was asked if he even thought it was worthwhile to ever take a running back in the top 10.

He paused.

"That's a really good question," he said.

"Yeah, I think it's worth it."

Apparently at least one person in the Bears staff thinks running backs can still be a best player available.

Whether that means Robinson might wind up with the Bears instead of a player at a need position like tackle or defensive line remains to be seen on Thursday.

Bijan Robinson is the best player in the Draft pic.twitter.com/hs3A1YTygU
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 25, 2023

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