The 2024 NFL Draft is just days away, and with the Chicago Bears poised to bring in one of the most highly-anticipated classes in recent years, now is a perfect opportunity to look back at some of the best draft classes in franchise history.
Dating back to the 1936 NFL Draft, the first of its kind, the Bears have participated in the event every year, and have added several legendary players anywhere from the top five to the 20th round. With that in mind, here are the top 10 draft classes in Chicago Bears history, starting with a few honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions: 2022 and 2023 Chicago Bears Draft Classes
It is hard to say too much about a draft class in totality when the athletes are still playing out their careers, let alone still playing on rookie-scale contracts, but the 2022 and 2023 draft classes may have the potential to be amongst the best in Chicago Bears' history.
In 2022, despite not having a first-round pick, new general manager Ryan Poles was able to add two instant starters in the second round with the additions of cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker. In the fifth round, the Bears picked up offensive tackle Braxton Jones, who has turned into the team's starter on the left side of the line.
The 2023 class was perhaps an even stronger showing for the Bears, who benefitted greatly from the trade with the Carolina Panthers. With their first three picks, the team added three starters in first-round offensive tackle Darnell Wright, second-round defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, and third-round cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, all of whom had strong rookie campaigns. Even later-round selections like running back Roschon Johnson, wide receiver Tyler Scott - both selected in the fourth-round - and fifth-round defensive back Terrell Smith showed flashes in their first years and may be in line for an uptick in playing time come fall.
Again, it is too difficult to place either of these classes amongst the top ten in team history, an honor here that is bestowed upon classes with no current active players (often by a wide margin). Still, both of these classes deserve a nod, and they are a reminder to trust the current front office and their selections throughout the weekend.
Number 10: 2008 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The first official installment brings us to 2008 when the Chicago Bears used a second-round pick on running back Matt Forte. Over eight seasons in Chicago, Forte would finish with less than 1,400 all-purpose yards just once, and his 12,718 career total yards with the team is second most in franchise history.
Forte was joined by first-round offensive tackle Chris Williams, third-round wide receiver Earl Bennett, and fifth-round tight end Kellen Davis as offensive selections in the draft. Williams started two seasons before being released, but Bennett and Davis both served as solid passing options when called upon. The Bears also picked up defensive backs Craig Steltz and Zackary Bowman in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively to help bolster an already impressive defensive unit, and both served as solid rotational players through the 2013 season.
Number 9: 1962 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Coming in at number nine on the list is the Chicago Bears' 1962 draft class led by first-round running back Ronnie Bull. A nine-year veteran with the team, Bull won Rookie of the Year and helped the team win an NFL Championships just a season later. In nine years with the team, the back totaled nearly 4,300 yards and 13 all-purpose touchdowns.
Outside of the first round, the Bears also selected second-round defensive back Bennie McRae, fourth-round offensive lineman Jim Cadile, and seventh-round defensive end Ed O'Bradovich. All three of these players would go on to play for the Bears for at least as long as Bull did, and all three were integral to the team's championship run, but it is worth noting that O'Bradovich's 51.5 sacks with the Bears are ranked seventh most in team history.
Number 8: 1989 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Next on the list is the Chicago Bears' 1989 class, where the team held the 11th and 12th overall selections. With those picks, the Bears added defensive back Donnell Woolford and defensive end Trace Armstrong, who played eight and six seasons in Chicago respectively. Combined, the first-rounders totaled 32 interceptions, 45 sacks, and nearly 1,000 tackles.
In the second round, the Bears picked up linebacker John Roper, and they hit gold in third-round center Jerry Fontenot, who would go on to start every game for five consecutive seasons. Fourth-round defensive back Markus Paul was also a solid rotational player for the Bears, recording seven interceptions over four and a half seasons before being traded.
Number 7: 1939 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The seventh-best class in team history goes to just the fourth draft ever, where the Chicago Bears used the second overall pick on a familiar name in quarterback Sid Luckman. Serving as a true quarterback on offense, Luckman accounted for nearly 15,000 passing yards during his 12 years in Chicago. Luckman also contributed defensively, notching 17 picks with the Bears.
The quarterback helped the team win four championships during his career, but he was not the only player from his draft class who made a difference. Picked sixth overall, running back Bill Osmanski led the league in rushing as a rookie and was a part of three championship teams. Guards Ray Bray, drafted in the ninth round, and Aldo Forte, drafted in the 21st round, were both part of multiple championship teams as well.
Number 6: 2003 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The Chicago Bears' 2003 draft class is particularly interesting as the team selected perennial superstars cornerback Charles Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs, who were picked in the second and third rounds. The two were mainstays on Chicago's defense through the 2014 season, and in 12 seasons they combined for 58 forced fumbles, 52 interceptions, and nine Pro Bowl nominations.
The team also had two first-round selections, where they picked defensive end Michael Haynes and quarterback Rex Grossman, but both struggled to live up to their pre-draft expectations. Fifth-round receivers Bobby Wade and Justin Gage were solid role players, and fourth-round defensive tackle Ian Scott started in 26 games in his second and third seasons combined.
Number 5: 2000 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Kicking off the top 5 is the Chicago Bears' 2000 draft class, which began with linebacker Brian Urlacher as the ninth overall pick. The most recent Hall of Famer to patrol the middle of the Bears' defense, Urlacher's 13 years in Chicago included both a Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Defensive Player of the Year award as well as eight Pro Bowl and five All-Pro nominations.
Urlacher was certainly a home run first-round pick, but the Bears also nailed their second-round selection in safety Mike Brown, who recorded 17 interceptions over 9 seasons in Chicago. The team also found value in the later rounds with sixth-round kicker Paul Edinger, who never missed a PAT with the Bears, and seventh-round defensive back Michael Green.
Number 4: 1981 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Next on the list is the Chicago Bears' 1981 draft class, headlined by second-round selection linebacker Mike Singletary. Singletary won two Defensive Player of the Year awards in his 12 seasons with the Bears and was an integral part of the franchise's lauded 1985 defense. Singletary is a shining star in a constellation of great Bears linebackers, and it is hard to imagine the defenses of his era having the same identity without his contributions.
Outside of Singletary, the team found several quality players who contributed to the team's Super Bowl run of the near future, including first-round offensive tackle Keith Van Horne, who logged 169 regular season starts in 13 years with the Bears. Third-round receiver Ken Margerum and fourth-round defensive back Todd Bell were both solid additions as well, although the latter missed out on the team's Super Bowl run due to a contract dispute. Seventh-round defensive back Jeff Fischer was also a strong contributor before becoming an NFL head coach.
Number 3: 1975 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The Chicago Bears' 1975 draft class is coming in as the bronze medal finisher, but it is easy to argue that they could be even higher on the list. In the first round, the Bears picked a transcendental player in running back Walter Payton, who would completely rewrite the franchise's record books during his 13-year, Hall of Fame career in Chicago. Notably, Payton was awarded the Most Valuable Player award in 1977 after racking up 2,121 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns, both of which led the league that season.
However, Payton was far from the only star that the Bears picked up in the draft, as 12th-round safety Doug Plank went on to log 15 interceptions across eight seasons en route to being the inspiration for the naming of the famed "46 defense". Second-round defensive end Mike Hartenstine's 55 sacks with the Bears are ranked sixth most in team history, and the team also found solid contributors in fourth-round defensive back Virgil Livers, fifth-round guard Revie Sorey, sixth-round quarterback Bob Avellini, and 17th-round running back Roland Harper.
Number 2: 1983 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The penultimate draft class on this list is the Chicago Bears' 1983 group, led by two Hall of Famers in first-round tackle Jimbo Covert and eighth-round defensive end Richard Dent. Covert made 110 starts in eight seasons and was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro player twice and Dent's 124.5 sacks are still the most in team history.
Alongside Covert and Dent, this draft class featured five players who would go on to start in Super Bowl XX in receiver Willie Gault, who was selected 18th overall, second-round defensive back Mike Richardson, third-round defensive back Dave Duerson, fourth-round guard Tom Thayer, and eighth round guard Mark Bortz. As a unit, this group addressed several team needs and strengthened the team's identity defensively and in the trenches. It is hard to imagine the team winning their lone Super Bowl without this productive class.
Number 1: 1965 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Last but not least is the Chicago Bears' 1965 draft class, which was led by two future Hall of Famers in linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers. Selected third and fourth overall respectively, these two went on to dominate their sides of the ball and remain two of the more respected figures in the history of the NFL. In nine years with the Bears, Butkus was named a Pro Bowler in all but his final season, missing just seven total games along the way. Sayers' numbers are a little more eye-popping, as the back was able to average nearly 1,200 all-purpose yards per year over his first five seasons.
Beyond these two legends, the '65 draft class brought in seventh-round receiver Dick Gordon, who totaled 35 touchdowns in seven seasons, and 20th-round receiver Ralph Kurek, who played in 81 games over six seasons. Even without these later selections, the tandem of Butkus and Sayers catapults this draft class to not only the number one spot in Chicago Bears history but perhaps within the history of the NFL as a whole.