Who was your favorite Bears draft pick?

We’re now two weeks removed form the 2022 NFL Draft, so the immediate emotions about the picks from the Chicago Bears has waned, and many fans have had a chance to read up or dig into some film about all eleven new players. General manager Ryan Poles didn’t go in a conventional direction, but it appears he stuck to his board and those 4 trades helped him maximize the weekend.

In our latest roundtable we’ll be giving our thoughts on several draft related topics abut the Bears, and we’re kicking off this five-part series with this question.

Who was your favorite Chicago Bears’ draft pick?

And here’s what our team had to say.

Robert Schmitz: Originally I couldn’t believe the Bears had passed on a receiver to draft Kyler Gordon, but once I got a look at his film he won me over convincingly. Gordon is a textbook Cover 2 cornerback that plays with rare fluidity in his hips, physicality against the run, and play-recognition abilities that would get any defensive backs coach excited. He seems like a clear first-round talent that got pushed down the board only because the league (justifiably) prioritized offense and should be a reliable corner quickly.

Robert Zeglinski: I liked taking Kyler Gordon. I think it was a very prudent move by Ryan Poles to go out and get a second young potential CB1 opposite Jaylon Johnson. With Chicago, he’ll slot into a comfortable position where some teams might avoid throwing at Johnson, giving the ballhawk Gordon plenty of opportunities at picks. Now all those questions the Bears had on the back-end seem silly in retrospect. The next might be: How do they pay and keep both in the long run? But that’s a good problem to have that only good teams concern themselves with, and is something we can think more about in three years.

Sam Householder: I’ll join the chorus of those saying Kyler Gordon. The pick reminds me so much of two recent CB selections in Jaylon Johnson and Kyle Fuller. At the time both picks were kind of slam-dunk ‘Yeah it’s a need for Chicago,’ but it didn’t really get a lot of national attention and it didn’t fire up the fanbase like an offensive skill player or pass rusher would have. But the draftniks and scouting guys were excited. I feel that with this selection fans were preoccupied with the “what about a receiver” narrative and kind of missed the point that this secondary was trash last year. Gordon by all accounts could have been taken with with any of the 10-12 previous selections so the fact that he fell to them is great. I think he’s going to be a day one starter and will soon have the fanbase singing his praises.

ECD: After having time to sit and reflect on all 11 picks, I really love the selection of Dominique Robinson in the 5th round. I had this developmental prospect at DE mocked to the Bears during the final week of draft preparation. He’s going to add a true speed rushing specialist with a mean streak into the Bears’ formidable rotation off the edge behind Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Trevis Gipson. Robinson has a vibe similar to Mark Anderson when the former Bears DE was in his rookie season - just insert them into 3rd down NASCAR packages and sick him on the QB. Bears D-line coach Travis Smith is going to have a ton of fun molding Dominique Robinson into a weapon on defense.

Josh Sunderbruch: In a vacuum, it would have been Jaquan Brisker. I think he’s an early-second round talent and he was taken just a bit after that. The Bears need a true safety, and I love the idea that he could become the sort of hybrid safety-backer that teams need to neutralize tight ends in the modern NFL. Unfortunately, that pick came on the heels of selecting another DB in a draft where they needed an infusion of offensive talent. I still don’t have a single pick I like better, though?

Patti Curl: As many know, I rank my draft prospects by weight. Seventh round tackle/guard Ja’Tyre Carter comes in at the top of my rankings at 311 pounds. He’s an athletic lineman from Southern University that NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described as having “big paws.” A first glance at his RAS score might make you think he was less athletic than the other drafted linemen, but he improved on his combine numbers at his pro day, where this healthy young bear jumped a jaw-dropping 34.5 inch vertical at 311 pounds. I anticipate good things for this one.

Help us welcome our new summer intern, Peter Borkowski!

Peter Borkowski: Jaquan Brisker narrowly beats out Kyler Gordon for my pick here. I think either one is a good answer, but I like the Brisker pick for two main reasons other than the talent he brings to the table. First off, I think he’ll help out Eddie Jackson a ton. Getting Jackson back to his 2018 edition appears to be a big mission, and getting him a reliable partner who can take some of the pressure off of him is a big key to that in my opinion. The other reason I really like the Brisker pick is because it shows that the Bears (at least this season) are really focused on creating a defensive identity. With how up-in-the-air the offense is right, building up the defense seems like a good choice. Maybe we will see a 2018-esque design, where the defense focuses on giving the offense good field position to help them out. Getting a killer safety like Brisker is a good start there.

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: This was my least favorite pick at the time, but the more I watch Velus Jones Jr., and the more I hear about him, the more I like what he can potentially bring to the Bears as a rookie. He’ll bring some juice in the return game, but his run after catch ability is something I’m excited to see offensive coordinator Luke Getsy scheme up touches for. Since I need to stay on brand, a close second for me is offensive tackle Braxton Jones, who I think will push Larry Borom for a starting spot.

Which one of Chicago’s 11 drafted rookies is your fav?