The Chicago Bears finished the 2020 campaign 8-8, but thanks to a late-season surge they were still in contention for a postseason spot late in the season before two consecutive losses killed any hope of that.
While the roster isn’t in total shambles, there are still some critical needs that should be addressed through the draft now that the first wave of free agency has come and gone.
Bears 2021 Draft Picks
Round 1: No. 11, QB Justin Fields
Round 2: No. 39, OT Teven Jenkins
Round 5: No. 151, OT Larry Borom
Round 6: No. 208, OT Stone Forsythe; No. 221, WR Dazz Newsome; No. 228 CB Thomas Graham Jr.
Team needs
Offense: Quarterback, Wide Reciever
The Bears moved on from the Mitchell Trubisky experiment after letting him walk in free agency, but they did get a one-year stop-gap with Andy Dalton. While Dalton is a serviceable NFL starter, the fix is a short-term one.
This 2020 NFL Draft class is ripe with quarterback talent at the top. The Bears don’t pick until the 20th selection in the first round, they have a ton of picks in the later rounds that they could potentially trade to a team that isn’t as desperate to win the quarterback sweepstakes.
At wideout, the Bears have two solid players already in Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson. But a third player there will be huge to make the offense run well. With the QB and OL hype this class is getting, a top-tier receiver could fall to Chicago at 20.
Defense: Cornerback
The Chicago secondary was iffy at best last season, giving up 28 touchdowns through the air and getting just 10 interceptions. They also released Kyle Fuller this offseason, making the need even greater at a position where they weren’t in a great spot to begin with.
Dream first pick
Greg Newsome II, DB from Northwestern. The need in the secondary is huge for the Bears and while the offensive needs are pressing as well, they can wait a little bit longer to fill those.
Newsome provides an elite talent that you probably won’t have to trade up to get.