Last year, former Bears general manager Ryan Pace was praised for what many had pegged as the NFL’s best rookie class immediately following the NFL draft.
But, as we all know, you can never grade a rookie draft class before they’ve played a down of football at the NFL level. Only time will tell.
Pro Football Focus ranked all of the rookie classes following the 2021 season, and the Bears landed at No. 11. A big part of that was quarterback Justin Fields, who still flashed his potential despite a less-than-ideal rookie year.
But there were some late-round picks that also impressed, including sixth-round running back Khalil Herbert and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr.
Chicago went all-in by trading up for quarterback Justin Fields in the draft. While the former Ohio State Buckeye didn’t have a banner season, it was slightly above expectation. Running back Khalil Herbert and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. also helped the Bears’ ranking, as both Day 3 picks were thrust into the starting lineup for a game or two and performed better than anyone could expect a sixth-round rookie to perform.
As Bears fans are aware, things don’t always go according to plan, which was certainly the case for the 2021 rookie class. Fields’ rookie season was rough, yet encouraging. Offensive tackle Teven Jenkins missed most of the season following back surgery. And Graham and wide receiver Dazz Newsome didn’t make the 53-man roster to start the season.
Still, the Bears 2021 draft class proved to be an encouraging group. We’ll see what the next couple of years has in store before coming to a consensus on this group.
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