Jerry Angelo's Draft History, Part V: The 2006 Draft

The Bears were headed to the Super Bowl in 2006, and part of the reason why they made the Super Bowl was because of a couple players in this particular draft.

Chicago selected the electric Devin Hester in this draft along with Mark Anderson and Jamar Williams. At least early in their careers they were very productive. Things have calmed down a bit for these guys, but with some motivation and proper utilization they could be stars again.

Here is a look at the players that the Bears drafted in the 2006 NFL Draft—how they have performed since joining the team and where they stand today:

Round Two—Danieal Manning, S, Abilene Christian

The Bears decided to improve their secondary by taking little-known safety Danieal Manning out of tiny Abilene Christian. Since coming to the team, Manning has played in 61 games, starting 40. He has recorded 271 total tackles, with 219 solo and 52 assisted.  He has two sacks, two interceptions, one safety, and four forced fumbles.

Manning is more of an athlete than a football player and he has struggled at times playing on defense. (Remember the Super Bowl?) He has been used well on kickoffs, however, averaging 27.9 per return with one touchdown.

Manning will be a free agent this offseason and the Bears may be a little hesitant to sign him because he is a “man without a position,” but, if anything, he has played a significant role on special teams and could be very valuable there, especially if the Bears choose not to put Hester back in his original role.

Round Two—Devin Hester, CB/KR/PR/WR, Miami

Speaking of Hester, this was also the year that the Bears drafted him out of the University of Miami.

His first-year impact with the Bears was huge. He ran back several kickoffs and punts during the season and set a Super Bowl record by running back the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

The Bears then took Hester away from his role as the team's primary special teams return specialist and put him into the role of wide receiver. He struggled in his first season but has gotten better since. 

Since coming to the Bears, Hester has played in 60 games, starting 20. As a receiver, he has caught 128 passes for a total of 1,721 yards and eight touchdowns. Hester has also fumbled eight times as a receiver, losing two. 

In returning kicks, Hester has averaged 22.7 yards with four touchdowns. On punt returns, he has averaged 11.3 yards and returned seven for touchdowns. The Bears might want to try Hester on returns more next season, and may end up putting him back there more often, especially if they are able to find a decent wide receiver this offseason.

Depending on the development of up-and-coming wide receiver Devin Aromashodu, it’s possible the team may see his value in the return game and put him back there more often in 2010 and beyond.

Round Three—Dusty Dvoracek, DT, Oklahoma

Dvoracek had a promising career ahead of him but injuries derailed that career and eventually led to his being released by the team.

All together, Dvoracek played in 13 games for the Bears, starting all of them. He had 31 total tackles, with 24 solo and seven solo. He also had two passes defended. 

Dvoracek missed all of the 2006 season, all but one game of the 2007 season and four games of the 2008 season. He was injured again in the 2009 preseason and let go by the team. Dvoracek has yet to land with another NFL team. 

Had he been able to stay healthy during his career with the Bears, Dvoracek might have been a force on the defensive line and could have helped them overcome some of the shortcomings that they have had there. Unfortunately, now he is just another bad draft choice by Angelo.

Round Four—Jamar Williams, LB, Arizona State

Williams was taken with the thought that he could be the replacement for linebacker Lance Briggs if Briggs and the team couldn’t agree on a contract. However, Briggs signed a long-term deal and Williams has spent his time on special teams and as a backup at outside linebacker. 

So far, Williams has played in 51 games starting three total games. He has registered 89 total tackles with 70 of those solo and 19 assisted. He had one sack, five passes defended, and one forced fumble.

Williams has been used on special teams for the most part but has also stepped in for Briggs when he’s been hurt and played very well in relief. (He had a 20 tackle game this season while Briggs sat out with an injury.)

However, he is due to be a free agent and the question is whether or not the Bears will decide to keep him. It would be difficult to lose him on special teams and as a backup so Chicago has a decision to make and the right decision would be to retain him.

Round Five—Mark Anderson, DE, Alabama

The Bears went for some depth at the defensive end position with this pick and what they ended up with (so far) has been a one-year-wonder of sorts.

Anderson had a strong 2006 season (their Super Bowl season), in which he registered 12 sacks, but has trailed off from there and hasn’t really done much since.

All together, Anderson has played in 62 games for the Bears, starting 17 of those games. He has registered 105 total tackles with 80 solo and 25 assisted. He has registered a total of 21.5 sacks with five passes defended and five forced fumbles. 

Anderson all but disappeared after his stellar rookie season but has tried to show his value to the team and had a bit of a resurgence towards the end of the 2009 season. With his contract up, will it be enough to show the Bears that he is worth keeping? Stay tuned.

Round Six—J.D. Runnells, FB, Oklahoma

Runnells was thought to be a good fit with the Bears and even saw some action. But, just as what has happened to several of the Bears' draft picks in recent years, injuries got the best of him and he didn’t last that long with the Bears. 

All together, Runnells played in two games for the Bears, started none, and didn’t post any stats.  He is not playing football now.

Round Six—Tyler Reed, OG, Penn State

The Bears decided to bolster their offensive line by selecting Reed with their last pick in the draft.

All together, Reed has not played in any games for the Bears and has spent most of his time on the practice squad. The Bears will take a look at him this offseason and see if he is the kind of guy that they think can contribute to the team. If they feel that he isn’t going to be much of a factor in their future, however, then he may find himself out of a job at some point.

This draft was excellent for the Bears because of Hester alone. Hester produced when the Bears needed it most and he was one of the biggest reasons why the Bears reached the Super Bowl in 2006.

Unfortunately, he has not been nearly as effective now that he is playing wide receiver. Perhaps the Bears will eventually wise up and put him back in the return game to help them earn better field position and score more points.

Jamar Williams was another good find, but it’s hard to tell if the Bears will keep him with Lance Briggs playing so well.

It’s too bad that Dvoracek never panned out. The Bears spent a lot of time developing him only to see him fade away after three seasons.

Next Up: The Bears 2007 NFL Draft