NEWSLETTER
I don’t know if you believe in signs, cosmic happenings, the will of the Force, or whatever, but I do. And seeing Medina Spirit win the Kentucky Derby has me on high alert about good things happening around myself (and others). So let’s keep the good vibes going, shall we?
• The Athletic (Kevin Fishbain, Adam Jahns), 670 The Score (Chris Emma), Sun-Times (Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser, Mark Potash), and Chicago Tribune (Brad Biggs) present an overarching look at what the Bears did this weekend. For additional context, depth, perspective, detail, or just because you want to read more about a Draft class that makes you feel good, I’d encourage you to read it all.
• So, now that you’ve slept on it, what do you think about the Bears’ 2021 draft picks
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
• It was a weekend of bold moves, filling needs, and adding playmakers. Judging by your replies and quote tweets, you are happy Bears fans. And I am happy for you. Let’s be honest with each other. The last two years were a drag, especially when watching the offense spin its wheels. So to see GM Ryan Pace address our biggest concerns with this draft fills me with joy. And I don’t think I’m alone.
• Entering the weekend, Chicago’s biggest needs (in my eyes) were quarterback, offensive tackle, receiver, and cornerback. The Bears drafted interesting players at each of those position. Say what? Sorry. I’m not accustomed to Chicago’s football team meeting my expectations, let alone exceeding them (especially on Draft Weekend). This really feels like a whole new world. And I’m definitely feeling on I’m on some mystical carpet ride.
• Using PFF’s big board as our guide, the Bears were able to snag the third overall prospect with their selection of Justin Fields. Chicago backed up its QB pick with Teven Jenkins, PFF’s 31st overall ranked player. Thomas Graham Jr. was another top-100 player per PFF, coming in at 76th despite not playing last year after opting out. Khalil Herbert was PFF’s fifth-ranked running back and 91st overall prospect in this class. Even the Bears’ late-round finds graded out well. Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga was PFF’s 142nd ranked prospect in this class. The Bears got him more than 100 picks later than he probably should’ve gone. By drafting Larry Borom, the Bears bring in the 16th-highest-graded tackle in college football last year.
• I don’t want to go out of my own way to toot my own horn, but…
December 23, 2020. @BN_Bears https://t.co/BC9yU3dtE3 pic.twitter.com/HT9i0Iwuw1
— Funky Cold Luda (@lcm1986) May 1, 2021
• The SEC has talent up the wazoo. So, from where I’m sitting, landing an OL prospect with the conference’s second-highest grade for a tackle who put up a conference-best pass-blocking grade is a win on principle alone. Here’s hoping Borom is in the mold of fifth-round picks like Adrian Amos, Jordan Howard, and Darnell Mooney.
• Dazz Newsome had the lowest grade of any Bears pick in the draft. That 255 ranking from PFF sticks out, to be sure. But Newsome is just one year removed from being the site’s 39th-highest-graded receiver in a group of 691 qualifiers. He can also do this:
Dazz Newsome is FAST!
📹: @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/eFxls7RkPr
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 1, 2021
• I may have tweeted this with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but now I’m wondering if we – as a collective Bears ransom – bullied Ryan Pace into having a killer draft?
Ryan Pace is drafting as if #BearsTwitter got him like this… pic.twitter.com/N6rLaLDnkW
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 1, 2021
• The wide-ranging praise is a breath of fresh air. Not needing to dig deep to find silver linings after draft weekend was refreshing. After an offseason of groveling about missing opportunities for improvement, disappointing free agent classes, shortcomings in the trade market, and cap concerns, Pace was nails on draft weekend. I must give credit where it’s due. Now, to be clear, there are no guarantees that any or all of these picks will pan out. We know what history tells us, so we don’t have to go down that road. But we should acknowledge that the process was sound after seeing the Bears address their biggest needs. That they did so while getting high acclaim for their efforts is extra icing on the cake.
• While the Bears fans were soaking in the goodness, the Packers were not:
Aaron Rodgers Reportedly Wants Packers GM Brian Gutekunst Given the Boot – https://t.co/PFChQYuqjn pic.twitter.com/chx2pVpojl
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 1, 2021
• Speaking of cheesy tweets:
Round 6, Pick 225 overall: @WashingtonNFL selects @UMichFootball LS Camaron Cheeseman #NFLDraft https://t.co/Z6yU3A9Ccl
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) May 1, 2021
When the Packers DON’T draft the guy named Cheeseman pic.twitter.com/KEyXsWwhta
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 1, 2021
• The Steelers drafted a mountain of a man who happens to be an excellent punter:
It’s go time💯 #NFLDraft2021 pic.twitter.com/rGoWS11iT5
— Pressley Harvin III (@pharvin27) April 29, 2021
• This was disappointing to see:
There were 259 picks in the 2021 #NFLDraft – not a single draft pick featured a player from an HBCU pic.twitter.com/zrcNYtjpCG
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) May 1, 2021
• Last year, the Bears were the only team to draft a player from an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) when they chose Lachavious Simmons out of Tennessee State in the seventh round. Chicago has a pretty good track record in scouting HBCUs, so maybe there are some undrafted free agent gems who can be scooped up now that the draft is over.
