Chicago Bears Rookie Report Card Grades After Week 7
Chicago Bears fans didn't have to look far to find criticism of their team's draft class this past offseason.
Look how quickly things can change, though.
General manager Ryan Pace took a somewhat bold approach to the draft class—and trading up to get Mitchell Trubisky isn't even the point here. No, the front office was more willing to gamble on small-school prospects than other teams, and the results so far might have the rest of the league paying attention.
Drafts haven't been a strong point for the Bears in recent years. It's still early, but the returns so far are one piece of the Bears looking like one of the NFL's most surprising teams.
Below, let's outline some grades for the rookie class so far.
Mitchell Trubisky
1 of 5
It's hard to ask for much more from Trubisky.
Thrown into an impossible situation, he has won two of the three games he's appeared in so far. And yes, quarterback wins aren't a great way to judge a quarterback, obviously.
Think about the circumstances, though. Trubisky has had an offensive line struggling with injuries and arguably the worst wideout corps in the league, especially after losing Cameron Meredith and the upside of Kevin White.
Yet here is Trubisky, managing games well and making defenses respect his ability to sling it deeper than Mike Glennon. He also has the sheer athleticism to take off and extend plays, whether it be throwing on the run or taking off up the field himself.
Detractors will point out the 23-year-old only attempted seven passes in a 17-3 win against the Carolina Panthers. But a rookie riding a strong ground game and defense to a win while learning the ropes is a good thing, especially in a season where the Bears didn't figure to be winning many games anyway.
So long as Trubisky keeps developing at this pace, the grade won't dip.
Grade: B+
Adam Shaheen
2 of 5
We knew entering the season second-round rookie Adam Shaheen would have a hard time breaking into serious playing time right away.
It has nothing to do with him hailing from Ashland, either—tight end just happens to be one of the stronger spots on the Bears roster.
Not only is the veteran Zach Miller staying healthy and productive, the team added Dion Sims in free agency. The latter is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, so it makes sense Shaheen hasn't shoved his way into one of the top two spots on the depth chart.
Still, it is disappointing to see a 6'5", 270-pound tight end only have one target so far. He's improving as a blocker when on the field, but the Bears will eventually have to work him into the game plan more.
Grade: C
Eddie Jackson
3 of 5
There weren't many complaints about the Bears drafting Alabama safety Eddie Jackson with the first of two fourth-round picks.
The 24-year-old looked like one of the most instinctual and rangy safeties in the draft class, which would have normally helped him come off the board in the second round at worst were it not for a spotty injury history.
The Bears got him at No. 112 instead, and after an injury to Quintin Demps, he's seeing more and more playing time.
Jackson made his presence felt in Week 7 against the Panthers when he scored a pair of touchdowns coming in at minimums of 75 yards.
That playmaking ability and shoring up of one of Chicago's worst outright spots on the roster while he's still learning is a huge development—especially at a fourth-round value.
Grade: A
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Tarik Cohen
4 of 5
The second of two fourth-round picks, some didn't like the idea of Tarik Cohen both because of school (North Carolina A&T) and measureables (5'6", 181 pounds).
Whoops.
The running back had a huge game in his pro debut, rushing for 66 yards on five carries and catching eight passes for 47 yards and a score.
Numbers aren't everything, but one can see this is exactly what the front office had envisioned with Cohen as a change-of-pace option in the backfield next to Jordan Howard.
Of course, the 22-year-old has had a rough string of games as of late, though the finger-pointing goes toward the coaching staff more than his importance. After 16 catches over his first two games, the coaching staff has gone away from him and he's caught 11 over five other games.
We're not going to knock Cohen when the coaches deserve the blame—he's exactly what the Bears wanted and needed.
Grade: B
Jordan Morgan
5 of 5
The Bears turned more heads in the the fifth round with their last pick of the draft, Jordan Morgan out of Kutztown.
Chicago's front office liked Morgan's blend of size (6'3", 311 pounds) and athleticism while bullying the competition at his level of play. On paper, he was athletic enough to play on the inside at guard or possibly come in on the edge in a pinch considering he played tackle in college.
Alas, the 23-year-old struggled during the preseason and the Bears ended up slapping him on injured reserve in early September.
A developmental piece, the Bears had never intended for Morgan to make a difference this year other than possibly provide some depth. He's got plenty of upside and is working with guys such as Kyle Long, so there's an outside chance he improves his grade next year.
The fact a fifth-round lineman on I.R. receives the worst grade says it all about Pace's draft class.
Grade: C
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
