Who's in charge? Ryan Pace is heading into his seventh year as GM, and Matt Nagy is going into Year 4 as head coach. The Bears have finished .500 in each of their last two seasons, and while they've made the playoffs twice under Nagy, neither time did they make it past the Wild Card Round.
What's at stake? 2021 appears to be a make-or-break season for Pace and Nagy. Last season marked the first time in the Nagy era that the Bears ranked outside the top 10 in scoring offense (22nd), total offense (26th), scoring defense (14th) and total defense (11th). And with the Bears running low on cap space entering 2021, the draft will be crucial to turning things around.
What does their recent drafting track record look like? The top four players in terms of salary-cap number this season (WR Allen Robinson, LB Robert Quinn, LB Khalil Mack and DT Akiem Hicks) were all drafted by other franchises. Of the 15 players selected in Pace's first two drafts as GM (2015 and '16), just four remain on the roster. None of Pace's three first-round picks from 2015 to '17 (WR Kevin White, edge rusher Leonard Floyd and QB Mitch Trubisky) made it to a second contract with the team, despite all being selected with top-10 choices. With Trubisky, the second overall pick in 2017, heading out of town, free-agent signee Andy Dalton is set to assume the starting reins.
What will the Bears do at No. 20? They're slated to make a first-round pick for the first time since 2018 (since their first-rounders in 2019 and 2020 were traded to the Raiders for Mack). The Bears parted ways with five-year starter Bobby Massie this offseason, leaving a hole at one of the tackle positions. A young, ready-to-play offensive tackle who could get reps with the young core would be a great fit for this offense. However, the highest Pace has selected an offensive tackle since becoming GM in 2015 has been the sixth round -- yes, you read that right, the sixth round. That choice came back in Pace's debut draft, when he selected Tayo Fabuluje 183rd overall. Fabuluje appeared in four career games for the Bears, and none as a starter.
Quarterback is an option, but it could be tough to land a top-end prospect this year, given what the team might have to give up to move within range. And, for what it's worth, Chicago has a very short history of trading up in Round 1 to take a QB -- the Bears have selected five in the common draft era (Rex Grossman, Cade McNown, Jim Harbaugh, Jim McMahon and Trubisky), and Trubisky was the only one they traded up for. For more clues about Chicago's path, let's look to the makeup of the NFC North, home to the reigning MVP (Aaron Rodgers), the reigning leader in receiving TDs (Davante Adams) and a running back who finished second in scrimmage yards (Dalvin Cook) in 2020. The division was also the only one in the NFL to feature two of the top five leaders in receiving yards (Adams and Justin Jefferson) last season. In four combined games against the Bears, Jefferson and Adams averaged 86.5 receiving yards. While Chicago is traditionally known for great defense, 2020's unit was not up to par -- and with the loss of Kyle Fuller this offseason, I expect the team to draft a young CB to match up against the opposing playmakers on the outside.
The Link LonkApril 21, 2021 at 10:12PM
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2021 NFL Draft: What to expect with five pivotal first-round picks - NFL.com
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