Chicago Bears: Fun and Wild 2018 NFL Draft Facts

Chicago Bears fans have heard the general knowledge regarding the 2018 NFL draft class. They understand the players and the level of expectations.

GM Ryan Pace, by all accounts, may have had his best draft since taking over the franchise. Belief is he landed no fewer than three Day 1 starters in the first two rounds and a number of intriguing late round picks with significant upside who help improve depth at needed positions. There are few complaints about how it went under the circumstances.

So what about the more interesting facts? Every draft class comes with its own unusual quirks and the 2018 version is no exception. There is actually some fascinating historical backdrop with a number of these young men and where they were selected. Here are a few of the highlights.

The Bears are sharpshooters with 1st round inside linebackers

Roquan Smith has no idea the territory he’s stepping into right now. Everybody knows about the Bears’ legacy of middle linebackers. That’s no secret. What people might not know is just how incredibly accurate they’ve been at drafting them in the 1st round. Prior to Smith hearing his name called, Chicago has done it just two other times in franchise history. The first was in 1965 when they selected Dick Butkus. The next was in 2000 when they secured Brian Urlacher. That’s insane, and also a good omen if nothing else.

Last time they traded up in 2nd round for a receiver worked well

Probably the biggest surprise of the draft this year was when the Bears made their bold trade all the way up from the 4th round back into the 2nd to grab Memphis receiver, Anthony Miller. It was a move that earned wide-spread praise among experts, believing Chicago had stolen a good one. Trading up in the 2nd round for a receiver has actually worked well for them in the past. Six years ago in 2012, they did the same thing, grabbing a young kid out of South Carolina named Alshon Jeffery.

Centers from Iowa have served Chicago well

James Daniels comes from a strong tradition of offensive line play at Iowa, particularly at center. No team should know this better than the Bears. Daniels isn’t the first center from that program to play for their team. That was Jay Hilgenberg, who signed with them as an undrafted free agent in the early 1980s. He quickly won the starting job and would man the position for the next decade, reaching seven Pro Bowls and helping them win the Super Bowl in 1985.

Drafting defenders from WKU in 4th round is now a tradition

It’s weird how history tends to repeat itself in the NFL. The Bears know that better than most. Prior to this year, they’ve only drafted one player out of Western Kentucky University before. He played defense and went into the 4th round. His name was Virgil Livers. Now here they are 43 years later taking a WKU defender in the 4th round in Joel Iyiegbuniwe. Livers started as a good special teams player before becoming a solid starting corner with 12 interceptions in five seasons. Could a similar career path be in store for Iyiegbuniwe?

Next: Chicago Bears 2018 Off-Season: The Best, Worst and Most Puzzling

Javon Wims is 20th Georgia player drafted by Bears but the first WR

Chicago has always liked drafting players from Georgia. Only Notre Dame has seen more of their prospects go there. The selection of Javon Wims made him the 20th Bulldog to don navy blue. What’s rather surprising is he marks the first ever wide receiver they’ve taken. Though a 7th round pick, Wims took a major step forward in 2017. He went from 190 yards the previous year to 720 last season. He no doubt hopes to live up to the programs’ growing tradition spearheaded by Hines Ward and A.J. Green.