Chicago Bears: How Ryan Pace May Draft His Next Receiver
By Erik Lambert
The selection of Kevin White is proving a bust for Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace, though in fairness there’s no way to predict rampant injury problems.
Truth be told Pace has really been snake-bitten at the wide receiver position since taking over. White is out with injury. Cameron Meredith is out with injury. Markus Wheaton is out with injury. It seems most of his notable additions to the roster can’t stay healthy. Most that do aren’t much help to solving the teams’ persistent issues in the passing game.
This has led most to think he’ll try for a major overhaul in 2018. One that will most likely involve a high draft choice, either a 1st or 2nd round pick. The question is who might he target? There will be plenty of options. Often the best way to get a gauge on that is going off his past experience. In this case the time he spent with the New Orleans Saints as a scout and personnel director.
Saints have had most success sticking to a common theme
Since 2002 the Saints have drafted 13 wide receivers. Five of them went in the 1st or 2nd round range and all wound up having a significant impact for the team. So do they have anything in common? Yes as it turns out. They had two key things in common. One was coming from a top college conference. The other was having at least two years of starting experience.
Donte Stallworth (2002)
- 1st round (13th)
- SEC (Tennessee)
- 3 years
Devery Henderson (2004)
- 2nd round (50th)
- SEC (LSU)
- 2 years
Robert Meachem (2007)
- 1st round (27th)
- SEC (Tennessee)
- 3 years
Brandin Cooks (2014)
- 1st round (20th)
- Pac-12 (Oregon State)
- 3 years
Michael Thomas (2016)
- 2nd round (47th)
- Big Ten (Ohio State)
- 2 years
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Indeed all five have the same traits. They came in the first two rounds and they hailed from one of the three strongest conferences in college football with at least two years of experience. One could argue this played into Pace’s failure with White who came from the less heralded Big 12 with only one year of major college experience. Will Pace take that lesson to heart when he goes after help for Mitch Trubisky next April? He’ll have a chance with as many as six receivers being considered 1st or 2nd round talents and coming from power conferences.