We can learn plenty from what the Chicago Bears accomplished over the weekend — and what they left undone — as they wrapped up a 10-man draft class Saturday with a clear emphasis on traits: height, length and speed, preferably from Power Five conferences.
The fact general manager Ryan Poles did not add a defensive end leads one to believe he will look to sign a veteran in the near future or wait for a player with a track record to be cast off by another team. Otherwise, the Bears project to line up Week 1 with DeMarcus Walker, Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson and Rasheem Green as their top defensive ends.
Poles said it just happened to be how the board fell. The strength of the draft when their turn came Thursday at No. 10 — after trading the No. 9 pick used on Jalen Carter to the Philadelphia Eagles — was at offensive tackle. Defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens offered value Friday and hope to fill serious needs.
Instead of aiming for an edge rusher Saturday, the Bears took more steps to help quarterback Justin Fields with the additions of Texas running back Roschon Johnson and Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Scott in Round 4.
Then they picked Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell, Minnesota cornerback Terell Smith, Kennesaw State defensive tackle Travis Bell and Stanford safety Kendall Williamson to close out the draft. That’s three potential special teams contributors. Bell is the only member of the draft class not from a Power Five school — at least once Cincinnati joins the Big 12 in July — or with good height. He’s 6 feet, 310 pounds.
The upshot is Poles’ second draft class consists of players with size and the ability to move, a recurring theme. He believes the pass rush will be better with help from Dexter and Pickens. Edge rusher is an early focus when you think ahead to the two first-round picks the Bears will have in 2024.
Here is the complete list of defensive ends/edge rushers the Bears have drafted before the fifth round in the last decade: Leonard Floyd, the No. 9 pick in 2016.
“You want to fix everything immediately, but it’s got to work the right way,” Poles said. “The right player has got to be there that fits our scheme. They want to be here. We can’t fix everything at a high level in one swoop. We are aware of our strengths and weaknesses. We’re going to be opportunistic. We still have flexibility to do what we need to do to improve.”
Johnson and Scott are interesting to project, especially because when the day started, their positions didn’t loom as critical. Their arrival will push younger players Khalil Herbert and Velus Jones.
Johnson is intriguing because he wasn’t worn down at Texas, where he played behind No. 8 pick Bijan Robinson, arguably the best offensive player in the draft. Johnson is fresh, excellent in pass protection, projects as a core special teams performer and does a lot of little things that aren’t talked about. He’s a decisive, downhill runner and plays faster than his 40 time of 4.58 seconds.
The Bears didn’t spend their first pick of Day 3 on Johnson without believeing he can be an early-down starter in the future. Poles said he was “shocked” Johnson remained available at No. 115.
Some thought Scott might be selected as early as the end of Round 2, so when he was still available midway through Round 4, it was a shrewd move. Jones didn’t perform well as a rookie and had limited production in college. He will get a chance to start fresh this spring, but Scott can push him as another guy with blazing speed and a greater inventory of college production.
“Another player I did not think was going to be around,” Poles said. “Continues to help our receiving corps go vertical, stretch the field, which matches our quarterback’s skill set. It’s going to help us be more explosive.”
The additions of Smith in the fifth round and Williamson in the seventh continue a trend in the secondary. Smith profiles similar to second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson in terms of a sturdy frame with the ability to scoot.
Poles has worked diligently to stock the secondary with physical players who will tackle and have versatility. The Bears are seeking a certain type of playing demeanor in addition to the measurable traits when you think about 2022 second-round picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker and how veteran Jaylon Johnson adapted last year to the new scheme.
The draft gives way to development now, the next crucial piece to reshaping the roster of a team that went 3-14 last year to secure the No. 1 pick but has created at least a little positive buzz with rookie minicamp next weekend.
“We’ve accomplished a lot,” Poles said. “I wanted to get bigger, faster. This is a long journey of getting to the top. I don’t know if you ever get the perfect roster, but that is what we chase all the time. I think we’ve done a good job of taking the proper steps to improve our team.”
()
