Projecting Chicago Bears' 2017 Starting Lineup After NFL Draft
The word "upside" is the key descriptor surrounding the Chicago Bears heading into the 2017 season.
It's understandable if Chicago's fanbase seems split on how general manager Ryan Pace navigated the draft. He and the front office unexpectedly traded up for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and only made five picks overall.
Oddly enough, three of the five picks came from lesser-known schools, too: Ashland, North Carolina A&T and Kutztown.
But the upside is hard to ignore. Yes, Pace coughed up assets to get Trubisky, but the Bears have a potential franchise quarterback, not to mention the first quarterback selected in a class. And small schools or not, the traits the draft picks tout are notable—and the Bears are in long-term rebuild mode, anyway.
It's a hard sell to convince fans to think about the long term while perhaps struggling through another rough season. Though they might chant for it, Bears fans don't figure to see much of their rookies in 2017. Disappointing, but free agency's stopgap solutions hinted at a building year.
Within, let's add the five rookies to the mix while projecting what Chicago's starting lineup might look like next season.
Quarterback
1 of 10QB: Mike Glennon, Mitchell Trubisky
Make no mistake—Trubisky is the future of the Bears. Pace just tied his job to the North Carolina product, not just by taking him, but moving up for him and sacrificing other assets in the process.
But it's hard to imagine the Bears let Trubisky win the job in 2017.
Rookies have won the job in this situation before. Trubisky, 6'2" and 222 pounds, has the upside of a guy who could, and the money thrown at Mike Glennon isn't a good reason to not put the best player on the field.
But the Bears also like what they have in Glennon, who never really had a fair shot at a starting gig in a stable environment. He's on what amounts to a one-year deal, and the odds seem strong the Bears will use him as such while Trubisky soaks it all up and takes a redshirt year.
If things go south, fans will hammer for the rookie to start. But with the long-term outlook in mind, it's hard to see anything other than an injury getting Trubisky in a game.
Running Back
2 of 10
RB: Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen
Bears fans can expect to see fourth-round pick Cohen on the field next year.
Cohen hails from the small North Carolina A&T and is only 5'6" and 179 pounds, but he's the perfect complement to Howard out of the backfield.
Long story short, his elusiveness, speed and stop-on-a-dime moves that would shred the ligaments of a normal human are only second in impressiveness to his 4.42 40-yard dash and ability to catch passes.
Cohen is a matchup nightmare who needs five to 10 touches per game to be effective, and he'll get it, especially in passing situations. He helps form the backfield of the future for Trubisky, though 2017 should be more of an appetizer.
Wide Receiver
3 of 10
WR: Kevin White, Cameron Meredith, Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton
It seemed like the Bears might grab a wideout in the draft, but after free agency, it was probably one of the first positions to go on the chopping block once the team started trading up.
Really, the Bears have plenty of young upside here already worth grooming. White can still reach lofty heights if his body allows him, and Meredith was an encouraging player last year who might downright explode with some stability under center.
Wright and Wheaton are the free agents who might make anyone on the depth chart behind them irrelevant. Wright had the best year of his career under now-Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. Wheaton is a talented deep threat who stretches the field if he can stay healthy.
These four deserve a shot to sit atop the depth chart for a year while developing chemistry with a quarterback. The ingredients for a potent attack seem there, and if it doesn't work, the free agents are on short deals and it will become a much bigger priority in the next draft.
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Tight End
4 of 10TE: Zach Miller, Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen
The arrival of Shaheen via a second-round pick might push veteran Miller off the roster.
That said, it doesn't hurt the Bears to keep Miller around and act as a mentor if he can stay healthy. He forms a formidable one-two punch with free-agent add Sims, provided he stays healthy.
Miller is a great weapon but can't block. Sims is a superb blocker still blossoming as a weapon. If the Bears want to win games, it might be best to trot them both out together for now and rotate in Shaheen when they can, if not swap out Sims in passing and red-zone situations.
Either way, Chicago now has options and a better-looking future at a critical position.
Offensive Line
5 of 10
LT: Charles Leno
LG: Josh Sitton, Eric Kush
C: Cody Whitehair, Hroniss Grasu
RG: Kyle Long
RT: Bobby Massie, Jordan Morgan
Nothing changes about Chicago's starting offensive line in 2017, health provided.
Leno and Massie will still hold things down on the edges, the former still developing and the latter still trying to find his groove after joining the team one year ago. The men on the interior—Sitton, Whitehair and Long—rank as one of the best trios in the league.
On paper, the new-look running game will make plenty of headway. If Glennon can get the ball out fast to new and developing weapons through the air, it can compensate if the tackles struggle.
Fifth-round pick Jordan Morgan out of Kutztown is a 6'3", 309-pound project who can act as depth on the interior, though he has the athleticism to perhaps make the move to offensive tackle in time. Expect to see the Bears give him some run in blowouts and perhaps if an injury occurs.
Defensive Line
6 of 10
DE: Akiem Hicks
T: Eddie Goldman, John Jenkins
DE: Jonathan Bullard
With only five picks, Chicago chose to ignore defensive line during the draft.
Realistically, it being a major need was a product of media creation and draft position at No. 3, where guys like Myles Garrett might've been available.
Hicks enters 2017 off the best year of his career thanks to working with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Goldman is young and still deserves some run at the nose, as injuries derailed last year. And it's time to find out what 2016 third-round pick Bullard has to offer instead of trotting out stopgap veterans such as Mitch Unrein.
Fangio will keep deploying versatile fronts to mix this up and get guys plenty of snaps. But a young base here should be a focal point of playing time next year up front, reinforced by strategic adds such as Jenkins.
Linebacker
7 of 10
OLB: Pernell McPhee
ILB: Nick Kwiatkoski (Danny Trevathan inj.)
ILB: Jerrell Freeman
OLB: Leonard Floyd, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young
Adding an edge rusher looked like another need the Bears would hit, yet by the time the draft ended, it sat discarded on the cutting-room floor.
This wasn't an emergency need for the Bears. McPhee and Floyd make for an outstanding tandem, provided they can stay healthy. Young is one of the more underrated rotational rushers in the league, and the team might just be comfortable with Houston in a similar role for at least another year.
Inside, it'd be nice if Trevathan was healthy. But it means Kwiatkoski will get some more run next to Freeman after turning in some quality snaps last year.
This group rounds out a strong front seven for the Bears, though health will be the deciding factor.
Cornerback
8 of 10
CB: Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Cre'von LeBlanc
Like wideout, a need at corner was probably exaggerated by the media while the Bears focused elsewhere.
Adding Amukamara and Cooper in free agency made this possible.
Both have had their ups and downs over their respective careers but will get first shot at starting positions on the boundaries. On paper, they fit well as press guys in Fangio's scheme, which could help them produce great seasons.
It's important to remember how well Fuller has flashed at times before missing last year, so he's still in the mix.
Elsewhere, upstart guys like Callahan and LeBlanc will get snaps in the slot and subpackages. The upside with younger players in these roles made it easier for the Bears to ignore the spot on draft day.
Chicago should be better in this area in 2017, though just how well everyone develops and meshes will decide how big of a need this is going into next year's draft.
Safety
9 of 10S: Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deiondre' Hall
S: Quintin Demps
Safety is where Bears fans might see the most in the way of rookie contributions, which seems odd to say because the Bears didn't address the position until the fourth round.
Alas, Alabama's Jackson was an ideal fit and Pace pulled the trigger, likely hoping the center-fielder range he flashed in college will mesh well next to veteran free-agent add Demps.
Guys like Amos and maybe even Deon Bush will still see snaps, as will possible converted corner Hall. But Jackson is the rookie safety most figured would arrive via the draft.
He had it a bit easy with the Crimson Tide thanks to the front seven in front of him and corners who could play on islands, but athleticism and instincts are athleticism and instincts.
Pace aimed to revamp the entire secondary and did, so expect the new faces to assume starting roles.
Special Teams
10 of 10K: Connor Barth
P: Pat O'Donnell
KR: Markus Wheaton
PR: Eddie Jackson
Chicago didn't bring in a kicker via the draft, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see some competition at kicker and punter over the summer. For now, the starters remain in a holding pattern.
The returner spots are more interesting. Wheaton is a nice speed guy to put back there on kickoffs.
While the idea of putting a rookie defensive back on punt returns seems risky, Pace himself brought up the point after the draft.
“It was like, ‘Man, we’re going to kill two birds with one stone and get a good safety and a good punt returner,’" Pace said, according to Patrick Finley, Adam L. Jahns and Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun Times.
The Bears have other options, but trotting out Jackson on returns might be an exciting wrinkle and help him provide a spark to multiple units.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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