NEWSLETTER
An early forecast for the 2019 season and 2020 draft projects good things on the horizon for the Chicago Bears.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller shares a way-too-early 2020 mock draft that hints at positive vibes in the Bears world, which is bad news for the Oakland Raiders.
For starters, the Bears figure to have a pretty good season in 2019. With Miller’s mock draft order based on odds for the upcoming Super Bowl, the Raiders first-round pick that will come from the Bears will land in the 28th spot. Picking in that spot would put the Bears 1) as a playoff team for the second straight year and 2) into the second round of the postseason. That’s good for Chicago, but not so much for the Vegas-bound Oakland franchise that was hoping its Khalil Mack trade would net a better draft return. The news doesn’t get much better for the Raiders moving forward.
Based on the same path that led Miller to place the Raiders-owned Bears pick in the 28th spot, the Raiders are projected to pick ninth in the draft. That means their second-round pick – which is owned by the Bears – will be the ninth selection of that round in the 2020 NFL Draft. And wouldn’t that be something? Landing a premium second-round pick that projects to be the 41st overall selection would be a boon for a Bears team that won’t have a first-round pick for a second straight season.
The last five players to be selected with the 41st overall pick have been OT Dalton Risner, EDGE Harold Landry, RB Dalvin Cook, LB Reggie Ragland, and WR Devin Funchess. Notable 41st overall selections (since 1999) include OT Michael Roos (2008 first-team All-Pro was chosen in 2005), Lamarcus Joyner (PFF second-team All-Pro in 2017 was selected in 2014), and Dre’ Bly (two-time Pro Bowl corner was drafted in 1999). There is value to be had at that spot, to be sure.
Sure, the Raiders might have won some sort of analytics award for what they received from the Bears in the Khalil Mack trade. But the value of two possible postseason runs and a future second-round pick that could ultimately land within the first 10 in that round next year should keep Bears fans in a good mood now, and into the future.
