Pro Football Focus published its breakdown of every team’s best draft decision over the last five years, and with the Chicago Bears not having a first-round pick since 2018, PFF had to do some digging.
According to the analytics giant, the Bears’ best draft decision is really a series of decisions that GM Ryan Pace has made on Day 3, hitting big on several picks between Rounds 4 and 7.
The Bears didn’t have much in the way of early-round draft capital to work with after the Khalil Mack trade. They’ve circumvented that issue by identifying several Day 3 steals over that span.
The most obvious of their Day 3 picks is All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson, who was picked in the fifth round back in 2017, but they also got key contributors like Jordan Howard, Nick Kwiatkoski, Tarik Cohen, Bilal Nichols and Darnell Mooney with what many deem the “throwaway picks” of the draft.
I’m not sure who deems Day 3 picks as throwaway selections, as most draft analysts recognize that roster depth is built in those critical rounds. But the point remains: Pace has done a fantastic job identifying talent in the later rounds who’ve outplayed their draft position.
If only Pace could have that same success rate in the first round.