Bear Digest

The dubious Bears benefit from potential loss of Ian Cunningham

Analysis: While the Bears wait to see if they receive draft compensation for the possible loss of Ian Cunningham, it's safe to wonder what they would do with it.
Gene Chamberlain|
Chris Conte can't tackle Randall Cobb in a game at Lambeau field in 2012. When he couldn't stop Cobb the next year at Soldier Field on one play, it became a problem.
Chris Conte can't tackle Randall Cobb in a game at Lambeau field in 2012. When he couldn't stop Cobb the next year at Soldier Field on one play, it became a problem. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Optimism runs high for the Bears obtaining an extra third-round pick each of the next two drafts.

They'll get this if Ian Cunningham gets hired by Jacksonville as GM.

Should it really create excitement?

It would be great for Cunningham, although maybe a bit awkward if he's working for a team with Shane Waldron on its staff as passing game coordinator.

From the Bears' end of it, the extra third-round pick probably doesn't mean much even if it should.

Presuming GM Ryan Poles is going to address the line of scrimmage in the first two rounds and possibly even with the 71st pick in Round 3, that extra third-round pick could mean a good running back is available in that range of the draft, if not a safety. They can use a more mobile safety.

They could also find a slot receiver in this position or a pass-catching tight end.

The reason it probably doesn't mean much is Poles hasn't exactly made good use of the third round in his three drafts to date.

Why is unclear. Maybe it's attention span. It is at the end of two long days of drafting.

The jury is still out on Poles' selection of tackle Kiran Amegadjie last year. It is unfair to hold his debut against him because he had no offseason, no training camp and 113 of his 119 snaps at left tackle came after he had no practice that week as the starter at his position, whether it was guard or tackle. Still, the return wasn't encouraging as Pro Football Focus graded him 136th of 141 tackles in the NFL for 2024.

Poles could have taken edge player Byron Young there. He has 15 sacks in two seasons 13 picks after Amegadjie went. The Bears would have drafted a rusher who actually makes sacks.

They also could have drafted receiver Tank Dell, who went five picks after Pickens.

Zacch Pickens was the pick there in 2023 and spent eight games in 2024 with the game day inactives. Pickens was taken only 11 picks after Gervon Dexter was chosen No. 53 in Round 2, and he has only 1 1/2 sacks, two tackles for loss, four QB hits and five pressures in 492 total plays.

Velus Jones Jr. is on Carolina after bombing out in horrible fashion with the Bears. His punt botchery made the difference in two defeats in 2022 and he impacted three more games badly after that with mistakes, including a muffed lost kickoff in the 2024 opener.

The Bears had a history of making little use of the third round even before Poles became GM.

The only time since 2008 the organization really hit big on a player in Round 3 is with David Montgomery. He was their top pick in 2019 after they dealt away earlier picks in the Khalil Mack trade. Former GM Ryan Pace could focus all of his energies in that draft on the third-round selection and maybe it made a difference. Montgomery's selection has paid off—for the Detroit Lions.

Other than that, here are your guys in Round 3, spanning the years and other general managers.

  • DT Jonathan Bullard (Pace)
  • C Hroniss Grasu (Pace)
  • DT Will Sutton (GM Phil Emery)
  • S Brandon Hardin (Emery)
  • CB Chris Conte (Jerry Angelo)
  • S Major Wright (Angelo)
  • DT Jarron Gilbert (Angelo)

Hardin might have been the worst of all these picks. He showed nothing from Day 1 and never made it to the regular-season roster.

Bullard has been a sub and even started some. He helped other teams, but hasn't been a big-time player.


Conte owns a painful and dark chapter in Bears history for one play that cost them the 2013 NFC North title against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. 

Wright had a short career and nearly collided in the end zone with Brian Urlacher in the 2012 season finale, causing the Hall of Fame linebacker to suffer a knee injury that proved a career-ender.

Gilbert was known because could jump out of swimming pools and could do it almost as fast as it took him to be off the Bears' roster—he played four games for them.

Dating all the way back to receiver Bernard Berrian in 2004, the only other useful player they took in Round 3 before Montgomery was wide receiver Earl Bennett in 2008.

Bennett made 100 catches in 2009-10 and 1,268 yards with five TDs those two seasons but never went over 32 catches after that and was gone after 2013.

If you liked the careers of Marcus Harrison, Garrett Wolfe, Michael Okwo and Dusty Dvoracek, then you like the third round for the Bears. Dvoracek might have worked out except for a knee injury but he has had a nice broadcasting career.

Round 3?

If the Bears get the extra pick, maybe they can hope the influence of Ben Johnson on Poles in the draft is a positive factor for selecting a player.

Otherwise, their Round 3 jinx looms large and negative.

But good luck to Cunningham. He deserves a promotion.

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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.