The 2021 NFL Draft is less than a week away. The Chicago Bears have plenty of questions and not enough answers. Will Ryan Pace trade up in the first round for a quarterback? Maybe he will shock the world and trade back instead (yeah right)?
With quarterback being a huge need, the team may not have a shot at any of the top quarterback prospects this year. Should one of them fall outside of the top-10, it is quite possible that Pace could make a move. The problem is, this team needs a new offensive tackle (or two), a cornerback and some playmakers on offense.
Personally, there are only a few guys I find worth drafting in the first round for Chicago. Obviously, there are a select few that are clearly out of reach. The team will not have a chance at drafting Trevor Lawrence or Zach Wilson as long as the rumors are true regarding the Jaguars and Jets. Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance are guys I’d love to see in a Bears uniform if the price is right.
Offensive linemen worth taking at 20 (or earlier) are Rashawn Slater, Penei Sewell Alijah Vera-Tucker and Christian Darrisaw. Tevin Jenkins is another name I’d be okay with seeing. I am also higher on Alex Leatherwood than most, but both Jenkins and Leatherwood I’d prefer if Ryan Pace moved back a bit and obtained additional draft capital.
Outside of these two positions, wide receiver is probably my top choice if one of these four were to be available:
- Ja’Marr Chase
- DeVonta Smith
- Jaylen Waddle
- Rashod Bateman
If they were to go with a cornerback, only these corners are worth it this early in the first round:
- Patrick Surtain, II
- Caleb Farley
- Jaycee Horn
The Chicago Bears are one team to have a special guest for the 2021 NFL Draft
Enough about the actual draft though, the point here is that the Chicago Bears are having a special guest announce whoever the team picks. Hopefully, the pick will be one most fans approve of so the special guest does not hear boos by the crowd. Even though the booing would not be directed towards this special guest, it would still not feel good to hear these boos as you are center stage.
The 2021 NFL Draft is awarding certain fans the opportunity to announce their team’s picks. The fans selected have shown a way to bring others together digitally during the pandemic, have helped eliminate food and health disparities and have brought awareness to mental health.
The Chicago Bears have one of these special guests and his name is Carlos Nelson. Nelson leads the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC). He lived in an area within Chicago that lacked an accessible healthcare facility. Nelson helped design a Healthy Lifestyle Hub and was awarded a $10 million dollar grant to help this vision become a reality. Ground broke on this healthcare facility in March of 2021, and Nelson continues to fundraise to help end health disparities seen throughout Chicago.
This should hit home for the Chicago Bears and many of the team’s fans as we recently heard about Steve “Mongo” McMichael being diagnosed with ALS. Apparently, he has been fighting this for a while now and is seeing a major decline. Although McMichael has access to healthcare (not something everyone in Chicago has and the point of ending the disparity), he has used all of his savings for treatment and is now using a GoFundMe while his family waits for funding from the NFL. It would be great if everyone had access to quality and affordable healthcare.