3) 2017 draft class

Key hits – S Eddie Jackson, RB Tarik Cohen

Key misses – QB Mitchell Trubisky, TE Adam Shaheen

We’ve spent countless hours bashing the selection of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, do we really need another paragraph to explain how bad of a miss this pick was? In short, Pace passed up a generational talent in Patrick Mahomes and a pro-bowl mainstay in Deshaun Watson for Trubisky, effectively keeping the Bears in quarterback purgatory.

In a vacuum, Trubisky hasn’t been as bad as people think, but because of who the Bears passed on, his shortcomings are magnified and will forever be Chicago’s Sam Bowie to Kansas City/Houston’s Michael Jordan.

Their next selection was worse, though, when they traded up to grab small-college tight end Adam Shaheen. “Baby Gronk” has taken a step back in each season so far and is hanging on to a roster spot by a shoelace. Trubisky and Shaheen are arguably the worst pair of first and second round picks in team history since 2002 when the Bears drafted offensive tackle Marc Colombo and defensive tackle Roosevelt Williams.

So why is this class ranked third? Pace’s next two picks on the final day of the draft helped make up for his blunders from the previous two days. Safety Eddie Jackson and running back Tarik Cohen, both fourth-round finds, became All-Pro players at their positions and incredible assets to the team. Jackson provided stability at safety, a position that has plagued the Bears for years. He’s a ball-hawking playmaker who just signed the richest deal ever for a safety. Jackson is Pace’s best draft pick and it’s not that close.

Cohen isn’t too shabby either. Once deemed too small to play in the NFL, the 5′ 6″ running back made a name for himself with his blazing speed and quick cuts out of the backfield and in the return game. He’s an effective pass catcher and brought a new dynamic to the Bears offense. Both he and Jackson are big reasons why the Bears returned to relevancy back in 2018.

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