Chicago Bears 2019 draft situation is rarer than you think

The Chicago Bears know the situation they’ve gotten themselves into regarding the upcoming NFL draft. It was something they did voluntarily after all.

Originally it wasn’t the plan. GM Ryan Pace had only banked on entering 2019 without his 2nd round draft choice. This after he gave it to the New England Patriots to move up in the draft last year to grab wide receiver Anthony Miller. This is nothing new. Teams often trade 2nd rounders in those situations a lot. However, things took another twist a few months later when the Bears went all out to grab one of the best players in football.

In a blockbuster moment, the Oakland Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Bears in exchange for two 1st round picks and two later round picks. It was an expensive move, but one Pace doesn’t seem to regret. Mack already had 12.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl in his first year. He only turns 28-years old this season, so there should be plenty of great football ahead from him.

So the Bears remain steadfast that their moves were the right ones, but it doesn’t change the fact this coming April may be the most difficult Pace has ever faced. How difficult, you ask? Keep reading to find out.

Chicago Bears draft situation is both rare and challenging

More from NFL Mocks

To get a proper gauge on what exactly Pace is facing, I conducted some research. Going back to the year 2000, I scoured each draft searching for ones where teams had no 1st or 2nd round picks and how they did. The data compiled was both fascinating and more than a little alarming. Here is a quick breakdown of what I found.

Teams have had this sort of draft a total of 12 times
That’s out of 576 total draft classes
Out of 87 total players selected, 20 managed to start at least one season
Only one has made the Pro Bowl (Akiem Hicks) and that was for a different team

Keep in mind a few things here. A number of these classes still featured several picks made despite no early rounders. Some had in excess of 10 or more. Yet teams still weren’t able to make big impacts. The teams involved also aren’t consistent. Some were run by GMs who were fired after brief stints, yet others included proven names like Bill Belichick, Carl Peterson, and Rich McKay. None of them made any sort of significant impact in this situation.

That’s the sort of mountain Pace is preparing to climb. The good news? One of the best draft classes of the bunch was one he was involved in back with the New Orleans Saints in 2012. Not only did they draft Hicks, but they also scored a decent receiving option in Nick Toon. So that prior experience could actually be a big factor in how this plays out.

Home/NFL Draft