With Recent Departures, Bears Draft Woes Really Evident
Aug 24, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Chicago Bears helmets during the second half against the New York Giants at Metlife Stadium. The Bears won the game 20-17 Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
If you’re a current member of the Chicago Bears, chances are you’ve spent some time with another NFL club before landed at Halas Hall. If you’re a Jerry Angelo draft pick, you’re even a rarer bird. The recent departures of longtime guys like Devin Hester, Corey Wootton and Henry Melton really highlight the Bears’ recent draft woes.
By my count, there are 16 Bears on the current roster who were drafted by the team. Patrick Mannelly, Lance Briggs and Peanut Tillman go to the way back machine, Matt Forte and Craig Steltz go back to 2008 and then a handful of players from more recent drafts.
Let’s look at the last 5 classes and who’s left.
2009
This was the year of the Jay Cutler trade, so the Bears were without a first round draft pick. Then they traded down in the second round and here’s what they ended up with:
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 68 | Jarron Gilbert | Defensive Tackle | San Jose State |
| 3 | 99 | Juaquin Iglesias | Wide Receiver | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 105 | Henry Melton | Defensive End | Texas |
| 4 | 119 | D.J. Moore | Cornerback | Vanderbilt |
| 5 | 140 | Johnny Knox | Wide Receiver | Abilene Christian |
| 5 | 154 | Marcus Freeman | Linebacker | Ohio State |
| 6 | 190 | Al Afalava | Safety | Oregon State |
| 7 | 246 | Lance Louis | Tight End / Offensive Lineman | San Diego State |
| 7 | 251 | Derek Kinder | Wide Receiver | Pittsburgh |
Melton and Knox were the cream of the crop and made Pro Bowl appearances for the Bears. Lance Louis appeared to be on the rise before he blew out his knee in 2012. DJ Moore made a few plays for the Bears and is still in the league as a nickelback. Famous pool jumper Jarron Gilbert has been kicking around the fringes of NFL rosters for the last couple of seasons, but hasn’t seen any game action since his 4 appearances for the Bears back in 2009. Oops!
Number of draft picks on 2014 roster = 0