The 2017 season has concluded. So has the body of work for the Chicago Bears 2017 NFL draft class. Opinions vary on what the team got out of the five young men taken last spring. Some feel it didn’t amount to much. The Bears only went from 3-13 to 5-11. At the same time though there are others who see a bright future with this group.
So perhaps with the coaching hires in the rearview mirror this is the best time to do one last report card. This will be an evaluation of each draft pick. What happened during the selection, the thoughts behind them and the ultimate result on the field. Did the Bears end up getting a good return out of this class?
1st Round (#2 overall): Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
The Bears caught a lot of flak when they traded up for Trubisky during the draft. They went up from #3 overall to #2, sending San Francisco a number of picks including their third rounders that year and this year. When asked about it GM Ryan Pace didn’t back down. He said that if he felt there was a player he felt could help the team win, he was going to go get him. Waiting for Trubisky to drop was too big a gamble. It was clear the 49ers aimed to move down. If the Bears hadn’t made the deal, it’s possible someone else would’ve.
Regardless Trubisky became the focal point of the entire draft. It wasn’t a matter of if he would eventually start, but when. Would veteran Mike Glennon be able to keep him on the bench? Most argue he never should’ve given how each performed in the preseason. Trubisky was clearly the more talented quarterback, both running and throwing. Even so, the Bears chose to stick with Glennon through the first four games.
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Trubisky eventually got the call in week five against Minnesota. Things were off to a rocky start. Through the first four games, three of them against future playoff teams, Trubisky completed barely half his passes for 512 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. People started to wonder if the Bears made the right decision. Thankfully things changed coming out of the bye week.
Game by game he looked sharper and more confident. His completion percentage shot to 64.18 and he accounted for seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Three times he accounted for a quarterback rating of 97 or better. Considering the high school offensive scheme he played in and the average talent at wide receiver, it was a noticeable improvement.
Final Grade: B
2nd Round (#45 overall): Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland
The 2017 draft may go down as the “Year of the Gambles” for the Bears. It seemed like every pick came with a high degree of risk attached to it. Adam Shaheen was no exception. Not only did he get into football late, having been a basketball player early in his college career, he also came from a smaller program at Ashland. Yet scouts were drooling over his measurables. He was 6’6″, 270 lbs and could move like a running back.
People started giving him the nickname “Baby Gronk.” Word out of practice in training camp was he lived up to it quite often. Then the season began and he was nowhere to be found. It still puzzles people as to why Shaheen didn’t get more snaps early in the season. Through the first eight games, he had one catch total.
Things began to pick up though after that. At the start of November, he became a much bigger part of the game plan. As a result, he had 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns in five games. He was dominant in the teams’ 33-7 win at Cincinnati. Unfortunately, an injury stunted his progress and he missed the remainder of the season.
Final Grade: C+
4th Round (#112 overall): Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama
Coming out of the draft there were some skeptics of Jackson. Not because of his ability. It was more due to his suffering a broken leg during his final year at Alabama. However, teammates and even Nick Saban himself swore that the young safety was a stud. Once healthy he would be an outstanding addition to the Bears secondary. Things certainly got off to a good start when he won the free safety job almost immediately.
Glimpses were seen of what made him so special in preseason: the instinct, the range, and the ability to telegraph passes in the air. Through the first few games, Jackson was steady in the secondary. He didn’t make any big mistakes but had yet to make any big plays either. Then the Carolina game happened. In a span of minutes, Jackson ran a forced fumble back for a touchdown and returned an interception for a touchdown. Those 14 points proved to be the difference in the game.
Overnight he was an instant star. Jackson soon became the eyes of the secondary, always in the right position. He added another interception and forced a fumble against Cincinnati to finish out the year. Considering the trials he’d gone through it was an impressive rookie campaign.
Final Grade: A
4th Round (#119 overall): Tarik Cohen, RB, North Carolina A&T
Without a doubt the most fun player the Bears have drafted in the past decade, both on the field and off. Fans weren’t sure what to make of Tarik Cohen when he first arrived. All they knew was he played running back, went to a smaller school at North Carolina A&T and stood barely 5’6″. What exactly would he do for the offense? It’s not like they needed help at the position with a Pro Bowler in Jordan Howard already in place.
Cohen, never unfamiliar with doubters, used all of it for his fuel. He lit up training camp from the very start and then began to turn heads across the country in the preseason. Opening day arrived and the secret was out. Cohen ran the ball five times for 66 yards and caught eight passes for 47 and a touchdown. His versatility, athleticism, and speed woke defenses up right away
It didn’t take long for Cohen to become the most feared player on offense for Chicago. It seemed like every week he was the one providing a big play right when they needed it. One week he pops a huge run, the next a long pass, and the next a big return. By seasons’ end, he had 1,583 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. That’s not including a touchdown pass he had in a win over Baltimore.
Final Grade: A+
5th Round (#147 overall): Jordan Morgan, OG, Kutztown
There isn’t that much to say about Morgan. He was an offensive tackle at Kutztown who performed well at the Senior Bowl. That’s where the Bears got their first good look at him. When they drafted him the plan was to play him at guard. Everything about the pick looked and felt like Morgan was a long-term project with upside. Josh Sitton was getting older after all. No harm in having more depth up front.
Unfortunately, Morgan didn’t get much of a chance to show his worth. He suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason and was placed on injured reserve. This has made it tough to evaluate where he stands. The good news is he’ll have one of the best teachers in the business waiting for him when he returned in new offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. If what the Bears saw in him is real, Hiestand will find it.
