Chicago Bears draft sleepers has become a bit of a thing over the past few years. GM Ryan Pace has made a habit out of finding quality contributors for his football team in the later rounds. Adrian Amos was a good starter for them since going in the 5th round in 2015. Jordan Howard was a Pro Bowler as a rookie. Eddie Jackson is a star. Tarik Cohen is a weapon.
Even Bilal Nichols is looking like a player with a bright future ahead of him. This has signaled that the Bears have a good scouting staff who understands where to find talent in low places. That is why it was interesting to see who draft experts pinpointed as their hidden gems of this 2019 class.
A recent top 10 list has come out. Looking it over, it was rather revealing just how on the nose this team was.
Chicago Bears draft sleepers success appears ready to continue
Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus, in collaboration with ESPN, compiled a list of 10 players who are felt to be the biggest sleepers of this class. Players who are overlooked for certain physical attributes or because where they played in college.
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- David Long, CB, Michigan
- Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois
- Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo
- Hjalte Froholdt, OG, Arkansas
- Maxx Crosby, Edge, Eastern Michigan
- Ronheen Bingham, Edge, Arkansas State
- Josh Oliver, TE, San Jose State
- Te’Von Coney, LB, Notre Dame
- Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison
- Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois
Looking over the names, it turns out the Bears’ keen eyes haven’t betrayed them. According to reports over the past several weeks, the team has met with no less than six of those players in some capacity. Johnson, Froholdt, Oliver, and Moreland all had private meetings with them. Crosby connected with them at the scouting combine and Bingham at his pro day.
All of those players have significant talent in certain areas of their game. Talent that could blossom into something more. Crosby is a uniquely big but quick defensive end who lacks strength. Bingham is undersized but remarkably fast at the snap on the edge.
Oliver is an athletic tight end with good hands. Moreland is a tenacious cornerback with solid physical traits. Froholdt is a big and strong interior offensive lineman from Denmark with quickness questions. Johnson is a former high school QB who molded himself into a highly productive receiver at Toledo.
