Random Things I Like About the Bears Draft Picks (And Other Bears Bullets)

Caleb Williams bears draft

That post-NFL Draft hangover is real. Let’s sort through some things I like about the new guys before brunch.

  • Meet the newest members of the Chicago Bears:
  • https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1784590895670845852

  • All things considered: I like what Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and his staff did this weekend. Doing the obvious thing (drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze) is a skill. And based on Bears history, we can surmise it isn’t a skill that everyone has in their bag. Even their most questionable picks weren’t the type of decisions that made me question my fandom.
  • For instance, I can see where folks would call drafting a punter in the fourth-round was a reach. And it’s not like drafting two punters in three years is an ideal use of picks. But getting an All-American to replace Trenton Gill (ranked 26th in average punting, 37th in net, and 27th in punts inside the 20 while having the 4th-most touchbacks) isn’t an awful use of the pick if you galaxy-brain it to present Tory Taylor as a weapon for the defense (pinning the opposing offense in deep) and offense (flipping field position). I like that this pick should please Head Coach Matt Eberflus, Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington, Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron, and Special Teams Coordinator Richard Hightower.
  • Plus, it gave me the opportunity to tweet this:
  • The more I think about it, the more I like the Austin Booker pick, even if it cost sending a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to make it happen. I’m choosing to see it this way: Chicago sent a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft to get a consensus top-80 prospect in this year’s class with pick No. 144. That is a tremendous value for the Bears and fair trade for both teams.
  • Also, Pt. I: I’m glad the Bears swung a trade to get back into the fifth round to grab Booker because it allows all of us to fully enjoy and appreciate the Tory Taylor pick. There would have been an insufferable faction of fans who wouldn’t have let it go that the Bears didn’t draft a defensive lineman at all this past weekend. They did the thing we all wanted them to do, so there is no reason to be upset about anything.
  • Also, Pt. II: If you need another reason to root for Justin Fields to succeed in Pittsburgh, keep in mind that the Steelers sixth-round pick in 2025 that was sent to the Bears in the JF1 deal will become a fourth-rounder if he plays at least 51 percent of the snaps. In other words, go get ’em Justin. Go out and prove that Russell Wilson is washed.
  • I’d still like for the Bears to still address defensive end and defensive tackle with some spring or summer additions. Ideally, Poles identifies veteran targets at those positions and has them in camp by the time mandatory mini-camp rolls around because part of me feels as if some of Yannick Ngakoue’s slow start in Chicago can be attributed to not showing up until training camp opened its doors. The on-boarding and acclimation process isn’t the same for everyone. And that is something I think team should keep in mind.
  • On the other side of the line, I love that Ryan Poles has high hopes for Kiran Amegadjie:
  • No more running from expectations. Shoot for the moon. And if you miss, then at least you’ll land among stars.
  • I’m not sure who else caught it, but Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus mentioned that Caleb Williams had already reached out to all his fellow rookie draft picks. That guy is ready to lead and I am very much here for it.
  • More from the Bears coach (and GM Ryan Poles) here:
  • Caleb Williams to New Bears Punter Tory Taylor: “You’re not going to punt too much here.”

  • A random thing I like that the Bears do on Day 3 of NFL Draft Weekend: They let their scouts talk about the picks on the final day. It is a nice way to get some unheralded hard-workers some mic time and experience, especially if they want to climb the NFL ladder and not be a scout forever. I brought this up to a friend, who added that it made sense for teams to do this because those are the guys and gals making the Day 3 picks. When you put it that way, I’m liking it even more.
  • My random thing with Rome Odunze is that he really manifested his being drafted by the Bears:
  • https://twitter.com/MarcusD3/status/1783616555902775589

  • That seemed to be a trend this weekend as Tory Taylor and Kiran Amegadjie did the same.
  • As your resident Swiftie/Bears fan, even I can’t make sense of this quote:
  • Then again, the Atlanta Falcons first-round pick didn’t make much sense to begin with so maybe I’ll stop trying to decode things.
  • BLEACHER NATION ON FACEBOOK: Bears | Cubs | Bulls | Blackhawks

  • The bad news is that Chicago Cubs southpaw Jordan Wicks has forearm tightness and won’t start today’s game against the Boston Red Sox. But in a bit of good news, prospect pitcher Cade Horton was once again dominant.
  • AWKARD: Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević was in attendance for an Orlando Magic playoff game. Given Vooch’s history with the Magic, I wouldn’t have thought much of it — until I remembered how bad the trade that sent him from Orlando to Chicago looks for the Bulls. Now, thinking about it gives me the ick. (BN Bulls)
  • Tab has your Chicago Blackhawks offseason road map with key dates, awards, deadlines, and more.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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