How did the Chicago Bears fare in the 2013 NFL Draft?
To spark up the offseason we are going to go back in time and regrade the Bears drafts of the past decade. Some will be a lot easier to grade than others but it will be a good exercise to look at recent history and compare it to what the team has and has not learned over its hits and misses. This edition, we will focus on the 2013 NFL draft.
1. Kyle Long, G, Oregon
The Bears hit on a first round pick! They have spent time moving him around to different positions which may not be the smartest thing, but this is clearly their biggest hit in the first round since Brian Urlacher.
After two productive years at right guard, the Bears tried to stick him back at right tackle. It did not work out for the best, and they decided to move him back to right guard. Unfortunately, last season Long got hurt and only played in eight games. And of course, now the team wants to move him to left guard.
Long is 28 and signed on with the Bears through the prime of his career. The change to left guard may be for the best so the Bears can definitely consider Long a big hit.
2. Jonathan Bostic, LB, Florida
Of course, after a run of successful second round picks (Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte) the team completely whiffs on Jon Bostic. Bostic is still in the league, and if he were a sixth round pick, there would be a different light on him. However, the Bears essentially drafted a special teamer in the second round.
Bostic did get the chance to start and started 17 games in his first two seasons. However, in 2015, the Bears traded him to New England for a sixth round pick. He was just a special teamer for the Patriots and was traded for a seventh-round pick. The pick was conditional and a foot injury ended Bostic’s season and drew no return for the New England Patriots. Bostic recently signed with the Colts but the clear intention is that he is a bottom of the roster player at this point.