It takes more than one player to sway the fortunes of a football team. Fans know the hits in franchise history by this point. Butkus and Sayers in 1965. Walter Payton and his entourage in 1975. Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs in 2003 and of course the mighty 1983 class led by Richard Dent and Jimbo Covert. So what is the most underrated Chicago Bears draft class ever?
To answer that question, an explanation is required first. Underrated classes must be ones that nobody ever talks about but actually turned out to produce a fair share of good football players. Names that ring a bell when you mention them and bring back some good memories.
Yet at the end of the day those classes are forgotten because they ultimately weren’t the decisive ones that led to future greatness. There was some strong competition for this honor. Here are a few who didn’t quite make the cut but deserve recognition.
Other candidates:
Class of 1981 – Most people consider this class a success solely because it was the one where the Bears landed Mike Singletary. They never stop to look at how much value they got from several other picks. Keith Van Horne, their 1st round pick, started 12 years at right tackle for them. Third rounder Ken Margerum became a solid reserve wide receiver.
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Todd Bell came in the 4th round and he went to a Pro Bow. Even 6th round pick Reuben Henderson had a strong rookie year (4 interceptions) and was later traded for the pick that became Pro Bowl guard Mark Bortz.
Class of 1998 – The moment this class is mentioned, everybody looks to the Curtis Enis pick in the 1st round and call it a disaster. They don’t bother to remember six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz went a couple of rounds later in the 3rd. Tony Parrish, an unheralded 2nd round DB had two good years in 2000 and 2001 before leaving for the 49ers and becoming a stud.
Last but not least? Patrick Mannelly, one of the best long snappers in NFL history, arrived in the 6th. Not bad.
Class of 2014 – For a time it looked like this class was a massive disaster. Things have a funny way of working out though. First round pick Kyle Fuller turned himself into an All-Pro cornerback. Charles Leno Jr., an unknown 7th round choice from Boise State became a Pro Bowl left tackle.
Even 6th rounder Pat O’Donnell has survived and improved as their starting punter.
1989 was most underrated Chicago Bears draft class ever
This was the draft class that might’ve pushed the Bears to another Super Bowl had things been a little different before it. The powerhouse team that had dominated the mid-1980s was already in decline by that point. Poor drafts in 1987 and 1988 had only accelerated the process. However, it was the 1989 group that was able to keep the dam from breaking.
At least for awhile.
The seeds of this draft were actually sewn over the previous two offseasons. In ’87, the Bears allowed the Washington Redskins to sign Pro Bowl linebacker Wilbur Marshall. In return, they received 1st round picks in 1989 and 1990. The ’89 version became the 12th overall pick.
A year later the team decided to trade wide receiver Willie Gault to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a future 1st rounder. That became the 11th overall pick, giving the team two reasonably high choices in what was a loaded class. This was the year Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas all went in the top five.
While the Bears weren’t able to score a Hall of Famer, they certainly nabbed a pair of really good players. At #11 they drafted Clemson cornerback Donnell Woolford. Ten minutes later at #12, they selected defensive end Trace Armstrong of Florida.
Both men would become fixtures on the Bears defense over the next six years. Woolford collected 22 interceptions in that span while Armstrong had 42 sacks. Sadly Armstrong was traded in 1995, where he’d go on to collect another 64 sacks. So Chicago never experienced his full potential.
The ’89 class wasn’t done though.
How many people remember the other good player who quietly arrived from Texas A&M in the 3rd round. His name was Jerry Fontenot. Star center Jay Hilgenberg had turned 30-years old that year. The team knew they had to start looking for a possible replacement. Fontenot was their first real attempt at this endeavor.
It proved a fruitful one. Hilgenberg remained a fixture through 1991, forcing the young player to consider a shift to guard. However, a year later the veteran was gone to Cleveland. Fontenot stepped in at center and would remain a fixture there for the next five years. During which the Bears had some of their biggest offensive success of the decade.
Sadly, like Armstrong, the Bears moved on from him before his career was over. Fontenot left for New Orleans in 1997 and started another seven years. Luckily Chicago escaped scrutiny because Kreutz arrived a year later.
The 1989 class produced three highly productive football players in team history. It’s only by poor timing and poor roster decisions that the city didn’t see the full fruits of what they could’ve been. That’s why it is undoubtedly the most underrated Chicago Bears draft class ever.
