It is the biggest near-miss in Chicago Bears draft history. The setup was almost perfect. Tommie Harris was long gone. Henry Melton had run his course. The defense was looking for their next great three-technique interior pass rusher going into the 2014 NFL draft. All eyes instantly gravitated to Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
It was almost impossible not to. Donald was unstoppable during his senior year of college. Not only did he have 11 sacks, but he also posted an absurd 28.5 tackles for loss. He was unblockable. When somebody can say that about a defensive tackle, it means something. The only problem teams had was his size. Donald was only 6’0 tall and weighed 285 lbs. That is small for an NFL interior defensive lineman.
This meant he wouldn’t fit just any defensive scheme, but that didn’t bother the Bears. Their 4-3 system was the perfect fit for him. GM Phil Emery, his scouts, and the coaches were in love with Donald from the start and salivated at the thought of him falling to #14 overall where they were picking. In fact, it turns out they were counting on it.
Chicago Bears were utterly shocked when Donald went at #13
Adam Jahns of The Athletic did an in-depth piece on the rise of cornerback Kyle Fuller in Chicago. It was there he revealed that the Bears were certain Donald would fall to them by the time he’d slipped out of the top 10. He was their top target by a mile and they had the card prepared. Then reality smacked them in the face.
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“The problem was that Donald, an undersized but extremely athletic defensive tackle from Pittsburgh who dominated at the Senior Bowl, was probably more “universally” loved by the Bears. He was their true target during the first round, but the Bears paid the price in thinking that he would fall to them at No. 14.
Sources familiar with the Bears’ draft process in 2014 said that the draft room was stunned when the Rams — who didn’t exactly need a defensive tackle at the time — selected Donald at No. 13.”
People have criticized GM Ryan Pace over the years for constantly moving up early in drafts to get players he wants. In hindsight, remember how things played out back then, maybe it’s time to cut him some slack. Does anybody think for a second he would’ve hesitated to jump in front of the Rams to make sure they got their guy?
Exactly. The Bears did end up with an excellent player in Fuller, but with the utmost respect, he isn’t Donald. That man will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his career ends. Perhaps Chicago needed that humbling moment to remember the draft never cooperates with your plans.
