LAKE FOREST, Illinois — It’s been 33 years since the Chicago Bears got that much lead early in the draft.
In 1990, he produced first half Bears draft safety Mark Carrier (No. 6 overall), who won Rookie of the Year honors, and linebacker Ron Cox (No. 33), who played 97 games in Chicago. That year, Chicago selected five players among its 63 top draft picks.
Ryan Poles aims to add similar starting players during his second draft as Bears’ general manager with picks at numbers 9, 53, 61, and 64. After sending the top draft pick to the Carolina Panthers in March, Chicago now has a total of 10 draft picks (including No. 9 and 61 of the Panthers).
The first round of the draft is on Thursday (8 p.m. ET on the ESPN, ABC, and ESPN apps).
Last year, Chicago drafted seven prospects who have played at least 14 games, including four who have started all season.
“It just adds to the core of the players we want to win with here for a long period of time,” Poles said last month. “We have some needs that we have to fill. But again, he stays disciplined and really uses the draft board and the value system that we have to do right in the draft as well. This continues to prepare him and prepare him for this long journey that we are on.”
Here’s a look at how the Bears have navigated the first two rounds of the draft as they continue to rebuild after the 3-14 season.
How can Chicago meet its two biggest needs on days one and two?
It is difficult to locate the most important need between the offensive and defensive lines. Chicago press allowed 39.5% of pass plays which is the worst performance in the league last season. The Bears produced a league-low 20 sacks while pressure rushing opposing quarterbacks on 22% of passes (second worst).
Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham said there were “six to eight” Chicago players who would be comfortable picking No. 9, stating that the Bears’ philosophy is based on selecting the best player available. Where Chicago currently sits in the draft standings, the best available player could also fill an immediate need.
One of those players is the Georgia defensive tackle Galen Carter, who was at one point considered the top prospect in the draft. Carter’s enlistment status was blacked out after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a fatal crash in January. The Bears met with Carter on a Top 30 visit to gather more information on whether the three-style tackle would be a good fit in Chicago.
Whether Carter will be available in No. 9 is questionable. In the Mile Keeper’s 4.0 Model Draft, ESPN analyst draft pick Carter took Carter off the plate to fifth-ranked Seattle. And should he fall within reach of Chicago, the team will give him solid interest.
“I think the more time you spend around him, the more you realize he’s a good player, but the more you get to know him as a person,” Cunningham said.
If Chicago passes Carter or chooses not to tackle his passing rush with other D-line prospects Thursday, it could be Rounds 2 and 3 where he hits the Bears.
Kiper and Todd McShay teamed up for a mock draft duel as ESPN draft analysts selected Chicago for Michigan’s defensive tackle know smith (excellent run stopper) at No. 53 and Auburn defensive end Derek Hallwho had 16 sacks over the past two seasons, is 61st.
Another possible scenario for the Bears is to select the best offensive linemen in the draft. Northwestern Peter SkowronskyOhio Paris Johnson Jr.Georgia Broderick Jones and Tennessee Darnell Wright They all played multiple and draft positions as first day starters.
“I feel like the first day group, all the household names, everybody knows,” said Cunningham. “Then if you step back, I think you get a lot of the similar skill set, but maybe not the top level of the sport. But you feel comfortable with that, we were able to take (left tackle) Braxton (Jones) last year in fifth place, and when You have a guy like Chris Morgan — who I think is one of the best offensive line coaches in the league and one of the best teachers in the league in that position — you get comfortable with some of those guys.”
The Bears drafted four offensive linemen on the third day of last year. Even if Chicago uses a top draft pick at tackle or guard, Cunningham says it doesn’t prevent a team from adding to the O-line later in the draft.
How will the Bears handle the gap between shots No. 9 and 53?
Cunningham said the Bears’ ability to come back from No. 9 will be assessed on a “case by case” basis as the front office assesses the needs of other teams in order to find a partner. One scenario is if a quarterback is still available when the Bears are on the clock, a team that needs a QB might want to step up.
“We kind of have to weigh that against where we sit in the ninth if there’s a player on the board that we really feel comfortable taking,” Cunningham said.
The 44-pick gap between first- and second-round picks in Chicago is something the Bears plan to address at the end of the first round to see if trading for a field early on the second day is an option.
Last year, the Poles showed a penchant for again trading the draft order. The Bears walked away with 11 draft picks in 2022 after Bears GM executed four trades on Day 3 that yielded five additional players.
And just like 2022, the Bears had two second-round draft picks (No. 53 and No. 61). Their 2022 draft picks returned #39 Kyler Gordon, and #48 safety Jaquan Brisker, an immediate start.
Chicago also has an early third-round pick at No. 64.
Aside from the offensive/defensive line controversy, when the Bears choose cornerback tackle the wide receiver may become a priority after the first round. Chicago allowed 5.9 post-catch yards per reception last year, which ranked 30th in the league, while the Bears receivers accounted for 121 points last year, the fewest of any wide receiver team.
Final mock drafts have anywhere from five to six corners of the plate in the first round. South Carolina Corner Cam Smith, who was mostly an outside cornerback for the Gamecocks, had six interceptions, 24 pass breakups and one forced fumble over the past three seasons. ESPN analysts’ mock draft had the Bears select Smith with the first pick in the third round.