2019 NFL Draft

Jack Ohmer | Posted on May 06, 2019

Make no mistake about it; the Chicago Bears were a standout team finishing 12-4 this past season. After trading up for Khalil Mack, our defense became dominant yet again. However, our offense remained unstable during key moments throughout the season. I’m all for the suspense of it, but it does get tiring. Heading into this year’s draft, the Bears were ready to tie up their loose offensive ends.

Round 3, No. 73 overall: David Montgomery Iowa State RB

The Chicago Bears traded up 14 spots in the third round to select Montgomery, who will likely battle it out with Mike Davis to take the spot of Jordan Howard. After a mediocre performance in the backfield last season, the Bears are looking for a bulky back who has less speed but is able to make up for it in strength and lateral movement. If Montgomery can live up to his hype, he will be our guy. Montgomery rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his final two years at Iowa State, leading the league in forced missed tackles in 2018 (99 in 256 rushing attempts). His ability to move around in the backfield while getting a good vision on the rest of the turf qualifies him as a dynamic addition that can potentially fit multiple roles in the Bears offense.

Round 4, No. 126 overall: Riley Ridley Georgia WR

It comes as no surprise that the Bears are interested in more Bulldogs, taking Riley Ridley (younger brother of WR Calvin Ridley) in the fourth round to join former teammates, Leonard Floyd, Roquan Smith, and Javon Wims. With a reputation of being an outstanding route runner, Ridley should have no problem adjusting to Matt Nagy’s modernized offense built under veteran, Andy Reed. Alongside key receivers for us in last year’s season, Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Taylor Gabriel, Ridley will be an exceptional addition to their arsenal (44 catches for 570 years and 9 touchdowns last season) as the Bears are certain to focus more heavily on their passing game. The only uncertainty left for us now is when Mitchell Trubisky will fix his bad habit of overthrowing receivers.

Duke Shelley Kansas State CB

In need of a cornerback backup behind Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara, and Buster Skrine, the Bears chose 5-foot-9, 180lb Duke Shelley. As this may not seem like enough height to cover the slot position, Shelley has impressed the Bears despite the fact that he was not invited to the combine. I personally like this call; instead of extending Bryce Callahan’s contract, Nagy decided to give a young gun a shot. I trust his experience as a coach a lot more than I do my own.

Round 7. No. 222 overall: Kerrith Whyte Florida RB

With our offense built up as much as possible, the Bear’s focus moved to special teams. Whyte, who had become a stand out return man in college, should have a good opportunity to impress in our preseason games. If he is able to do so, he will most likely be a backup to Tarik Cohen, giving him breathers in-between downs if we still plan to use him as much as we did last year. His main competition that will stop him from doing this is Taquan Mizzell (a third-string RB), however, I am only concerned with Tarik Cohen having enough stamina to continue to make big plays in games.

Rand 7, No. 238 overall: Stephen Denmark Valdosta State CB/WR

Last, but not least, the Bears final pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is former wide receiver turned cornerback, Stephen Denmark. At 6-foot-3, 212lbs, it is definitely going to be a struggle to get a ball around him, let alone block him on a running play. Denmark is going to be a work in progress for Matt Nagy after playing only one season at cornerback. Where he may lack in the defensive department, however, he makes up for in his knowledge of the offense. Having a mind of a wide receiver and understanding how they run routes will be a competitive advantage for Denmark that not a lot of other athletes have.

NFL

Overall, I would take this as a victory for the Bears. Although we have traded up for multiple players, they have seemed to pay off so far. Also, if you haven’t heard yet, former kicker, Robbie Gould, has just requested a trade from the 49er’s to relocate closer to his family in Chicago… hmmm…

Ryan Pace, this is your cue.