Ranking the Chicago Bears’ 2021 NFL draft needs

A look at the Chicago Bears’ 2021 NFL draft needs prior to the start of NFL free agency.

The Chicago Bears were a playoff team in 2020, which is still hard to comprehend considering how bizarre their regular season was.

Their 5-1 start was followed by a six-game losing streak, Mitch Trubisky was benched for Nick Foles, who was benched for Mitch Trubisky, and their wild-card berth was thanks in part to the newly added seventh seed in 2020.

Weird year. No doubt about it.

But the offseason brings hope for a brighter future. It’s especially true for the Bears this year: they finally have a first-round pick again!

It’s the first NFL Draft that they’ll pick in Round 1 since 2018; they hold the 20th overall selection.

Here are the Bears’ top draft needs before the roster gets upgraded (or downgraded) in free agency. Note: this post assumes Allen Robinson leaves for greener pastures. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

Quarterback

-Life as a Bears fans is one big circle that keeps coming back to quarterback as the biggest offseason need every few offseasons. From the days of Rex Grossman being picked 22nd overall in the 2003 NFL draft, to the trade for Jay Cutler in 2009, to the decision to draft Trubisky second overall in 2017, Chicago always finds itself back in this awful, awful place.

The Bears need a quarterback in the worst way. If one slides to No. 20 overall — and they don’t address it via trade or in free agency — GM Ryan Pace will have no choice but to think long and hard about pulling the trigger.