NEWSLETTER
After investing draft capital on the offensive side of the ball throughout the weekend, the Chicago Bears wrapped things up with a pair of defensive picks.
Following their sixth-round selection of Thomas Graham Jr., the Bears doubled up on defense with their seventh-rounder — Khyiris Tonga, a defensive tackle from BYU:
TONGA TIME!
Welcome to Chicago, DL @khyiristonga!#BearsDraft | 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UQhcOdUMXL
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 1, 2021
Zach Wilson got all the love as BYU’s star, and rightfully so. But I can’t help but wonder if that shine helped put some other players on who might not otherwise have gotten the attention they deserved.
Tonga started 22 games over the last two years as a defensive tackle. In 2019, he collected four tackles-for-loss and a sack. And after briefly considering a leap to the NFL, Tonga returned to campus and came up with another 36 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Defensive line doesn’t pop out as a need for the Bears, but Chicago has made hay adding depth at the position over the years. And perhaps, with Tonga, the team might have landed a true nose tackle in the process.
Now that the dust has settled, here are your newest Bears:
The 2021 NFL Draft class for the Chicago Bears
1-11: QB Justin Fields
2-39: OT Teven Jenkins
5-151: OT Larry Borom
6-217: RB Khalil Herbert
6-221: WR Dazz Newsome
6-228: CB Thomas Graham Jr.
7-250: DT Khyiris TongaYour reactions in .gif form would be greatly appreciated.
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 1, 2021
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
At first blush, I’ll admit that I like this class more than I expected coming into the weekend. Landing two of my favorite prospects at the top with Justin Fields and Teven Jenkins helps. As does snagging speed with Dazz Newsome, another player I was fond of while watching college football this season.
We’ll have more on all of Chicago’s picks and undrafted free agent signings. But let me take a breather, first!
