In Part 9 of our series, we looked at the top 5 wide receivers that the Chicago Bears should target in this year’s NFL Draft. Now, in part 10, we’ll take a look at a position the Bears haven’t spent a high draft pick on since 2007 — tight end.
When the Bears signed then-free agent Martellus Bennett before the 2013 season, they made a strong commitment to a position that was completely neglected during the Mike Martz era. Now, with Bennett on board and a pass-happy offense, tight end can be a position of huge potential for the Bears rather than acting as merely an extra blocker. The Bears currently have four tight ends on their roster — Bennett, Dante Rosario, Matthew Mulligan and Zach Miller. Outside of Bennett though, none of them are true threats in the passing game and the Bears would be wise to add another playmaker to the mix. Luckily for them, there are several options to choose from in this year’s draft:
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Troy Niklas (85) makes a catch during the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Michigan Wolverines defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 41-30. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
1) Troy Niklas, Notre Dame
Niklas may have significantly less experience than most of the other players on this list, but his talent is undeniable and his potential is huge. Though he may not be an immediate starter, he would benefit greatly from working behind Bennett and having a year or two in Marc Trestman’s system to develop. Notre Dame has a knack for producing NFL-caliber tight ends (i.e. Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph) and Niklas can easily be the next in line to represent the position and the school well at the professional level.