Chicago Bears: Team needs to trade down in 2020 draft

The Chicago Bears hold seven picks in next month’s draft with four in the final two rounds. Ryan Pace needs to trade one of his second-round picks.

Trading away picks in exchange for assets may be catching up to Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Pace. In next month’s draft, the team holds seven picks, but four of those come in the final two rounds.

For the first time since 2009, the Bears were awarded a compensatory pick, a fourth-rounder, but that was immediately utilized to acquire Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now left with two picks in the second round, the Bears won’t have a chance to make their next draft selection until the 18th pick in the 5th round.

It’s no secret that the chances of sixth and seventh-round draft picks sticking in the NFL are not good. Tom Brady is a rare exception, but in all of Pace’s drafts since 2015, only DeAndre Houston-Carson and Javon Wims remain on the active roster.

That’s not to say that Pace can’t find gems in the late rounds — this is where he shines. But with the Bears needing help in several places on the roster, much consideration should be given to trading down from either the 43rd or 50th overall picks in the second round.

The Bears’ biggest priority in this draft is likely going to be finding a long-term solution for the right guard position. Kyle Long‘s inability to stay healthy forced a parting of ways, and the quality of the depth at the position was telling.

If the Bears can match-up with a team that is looking to move up, they need to do it in exchange for that team’s third and fourth-round pick. Pace has had tremendous success in these middle rounds finding guys like David Montgomery, Eddie Jackson, Tarik Cohen, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Deon Bush.