With the Next Pick...
As this year's draft draws nearer and nearer, fans' hopes get higher. We wonder what the outcome will be. Can we nab a sleeper, are we going to trade up, are we going to trade back, the list goes on and on. After doing some digging, I went back three decades to find out if there were some memorable names drafted in the six spots the Bears hold this year (as we sit now). Also included, in bold, is each time that the Bears drafted at each spot in the past.
I did find a couple of big names like Reggie White at pick 147 and Alex Smith at pick 71. Unfortunately, White was a DT from North Carolina A&T that went to the Chargers in 1992 and Smith was a tight end from Stanford that went to the Buccaneers in 2005. One fun fact pick is that Chiefs' OC Eric Bieniemy was drafted as an RB to the San Diego Chargers in 1991 at the #39 pick. Not all are huge names but some will definitely have highlight years associated with their names.
Pick 39:'94- CHI: OT Marcus Spears '00- CHI: S Mike Brown'03- JAC: DB Rasheen Mathis'05- CHI WR Mark Bradley'06- PHI OT Winston Justice'12- STL DB Janoris Jenkins'13- NYJ QB Geno Smith'14- JAC WR Marquis Lee'15- CHI DT Eddie Goldman'18- CHI OG James Daniels'21- CHI OT Tevin Jenkins
Pick 48:'90- GB: DB Leroy Butler'99- CHI: DT Russel Davis'01- NE: OT Matt Light'03- MIN: WR Nate Burleson'10- CAR: QB Jimmy Clausen'13- PIT: RB Le'Veon Bell'16- CIN: RB Joe Mixon
Pick 71:'97- PHI: RB Duce Staley'99- CHI: WR D'Wayne Bates'11- DAL: RB Demarco Murray'15- CHI: C Hroniss Grasu
Pick 147:'99- CHI: DB Jerry Azumah'04- CHI: DE Claude Harriot'16- CHI: OG Jordan Morgan(2015 @ pick 146 was Stefon Diggs to MIN)
Pick 149:'94- GB: RB Dorsey Levens'00- GB: DE Babeer Gbaja Biamila (KGB)'11- PHI: RB Dion Lewis'15- MIA: RB Jay Ajayi'19- OAK: WR Hunter Renfrow'21- CIN: K Evan McPherson
Pick 184:'99- CHI: DB Rashard Cook'08- SF: FB Bear Pasco'12- CHI: DB Isaiah Frey
