Chicago Bears Draft Winners and Losers

The Chicago Bears had a successful weekend of draft picks even though they didn’t have any selections on night one. Whether or not you think they reached on any of the picks is certainly your prerogative, but the draft boards from each of the 32 teams will always look a little different, and they’ll definitely look a lot different than the boards floating around from the analysts, draftniks, and fans.

We saw several players drop down the board that we were told, by the media and fans alike, were surefire locks to go in the first or second round.

When it comes to the NFL Draft you should always expect the unexpected, and the 2020 version was no different. For the most part teams picked how their boards fell, like they usually do, and while some teams may have valued certain needs more than others, the teams still came away content with their overall hauls.

Some of the rookie are stepping into play now situations, while others are adding to the depth on their teams. But what about the current players on the roster? Some of them will be greatly affected by what transpired this weekend, while others won’t be bothered by rookie class.

Here are my winners and losers on the Bears now that the draft is complete.

WINNER: Tyler Bray

The general manager that says it’s a good idea to draft a quarterback every year continues to not draft a quarterback every year. We all know the only QB he’s picked, so maybe he’s gun shy now. But at any rate, the Bears reluctance to add a young signal caller is good news for number three QB Tyler Bray. His spot of the team was already bolstered when the new CBA made him once again eligible for the practice squad, but with no one to compete with for reps (yet) he’s got to be comfortable.

LOSER: Duke Shelley

Shelley, a 6th round pick last year, was already sitting behind number 1 nickelback Buster Skrine, but now with two more corners added to the roster he has to be feeling the pressure. At only 5’9” he’s probably not going to play outside, and now at the very least he’ll need to compete with the 5’10” rookie Kindle Vildor for playing time in the slot.

WINNER: Germain Ifedi

Ifedi, who is penciled in as the starting right guard, was the only member of Chicago’s projected starters that I thought would be in danger of losing his gig. But with no offensive lineman taken until the seventh round, it looks like his only real competition will be holdovers Alex Bars and Rashaad Coward.

LOSER: Adam Shaheen

If his place on the roster wasn’t already being held on by the tiniest of margins, drafting another Y tight end has to be the final nail in his busted up coffin. Cole Kmet may not start from day one, but he’ll be getting plenty or reps behind Demetrius Harris leaving no room for Shaheen.

WINNER: Khalil Mack

It wasn’t via a draft pick, but Mack’s younger brother, Ledarius Mack, has reportedly been added to the Bears as an undrafted free agent. He wasn’t a starter at Buffalo, but he made 2nd-Team All-Conference thanks to his 11 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. I don’t give a damn if Ledarius is just getting a shot as a favor to his big brother, because that’s the kind of perk you give to your franchise player. Ledarius will need to earn his place on to the Bears roster, but being able to play and practice with his big brother has to be a dream come true.

LOSER: Isaiah Irving

I thought Irvin’s chances for another year on the roster were slim before, but with Trevis Gipson drafted his place is in serious jeopardy. Irving has been a solid special teamer, but he’s done close to nothing defensively.

WINNER: Matt Nagy

Nagy will finally have a Y tight end that he can trust to get the ball to, which is an important part of all west coast offenses, but he gets a 4.38 speed guy in Darnell Mooney that will loosen up the safeties for his underneath concepts to have more room to operate.