Who Are Chicago Bears' Next Great Playmakers?
The Chicago Bears have some budding stars on a rebuilding roster.
Granted, there are a handful of established stars as well. A strong running back like Jordan Howard certainly classifies, as does defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. One could throw Leonard Floyd in the same pile and get away with it as well.
But the real focus in Chicago as the team heads toward what could be another strong draft class is the players about to develop into stars. The more the merrier—and every name deserving of the classification so far has been a recent draft pick with flashes of major upside.
Below, let's look at these future playmakers. Chicago's efforts have mostly made headway on the offensive side of the ball lately, so it'll naturally take such a slant. With another a potential high first-round pick set to join these guys (the team's 4-10 record is eighth-worst in the league), it's hard not to get excited about what the future could hold.
Jonathan Bullard
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With Floyd already a star (albeit one with a knee injury that has ended his season), there aren't many places along the Bears defense to find another future playmaker.
After all, the linebacker corps needs rebuilding and the cornerback position consists of mostly proven veterans. This leaves the defensive line as an obvious talking point, where 2016 second-round pick Jonathan Bullard has started showing flashes as this season has started to near its end.
With veteran Mitch Unrein out of the picture on injured reserve, Bullard has looked good as of late, applying notable pressure while he works on rounding out his game.
While he has perhaps been slower to develop than most would have liked, Bullard has the benefit of playing on the same line as Hicks and Eddie Goldman. If he can keep developing and playing off them, he's going to look like a star sooner or later.
Adam Shaheen
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It doesn't get much more encouraging than Adam Shaheen.
Shaheen was a second-round pick in a draft class often criticized by pundits for general manager Ryan Pace's reliance on small-school players. The Ashland product is one of these, but level of competition doesn't matter much when you're a 6'5", 270-pound tight end.
Finally given more playing time lately, Shaheen has flashed with two touchdowns over his last four outings. Overall, he's caught 12 of his 14 targets for 127 yards and three scores.
It doesn't sound like much, but the Bears weren't playing him over Zach Miller or Dion Sims. That should change immediately, meaning he's free to develop a long-term rapport with Mitchell Trubisky and create mismatches every time he runs a pattern.
Tarik Cohen
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Tarik Cohen was another guy from this year's draft class pegged as too small or too much of a risk.
Cohen might be 5'6" and 181 pounds, but what he's shown on the field is a game-breaking ability capable of making him one of the team's top weapons as early as next season—next season, because his usage from the current coaching staff hasn't always been great.
He has five or fewer carries in seven games this year yet has still managed 348 yards and two touchdowns on a 4.2 per-carry average.
What really sets apart Cohen is his ability as a receiver, though. He has 45 catches for 327 yards and a touchdown, good for more than seven yards a grab.
Players like Cohen don't come around often, and some of his biggest plays this year don't show up on the stat sheet due to penalties. But he's clearly the perfect complement to Howard, and if used well, he'll help carry the offense.
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Eddie Jackson
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Eddie Jackson is another big name that sticks out, though in terms of the small-school approach in the draft, he came from Alabama and ruined that trend in the fourth round.
Regardless, Jackson has looked like a stud at times, like when he essentially took down Carolina on his own via two turnovers returned for touchdowns. He's been far from perfect, but for a rookie defensive back trying to adjust to the pros, he's doing just fine.
According to NFL Research, Jackson is the first rookie with more than 50 tackles, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries since Luke Kuechly won the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The only way to go is up. Jackson will need some developmental time to round out his game, but the headway he's made at such a tough spot is admirable and shores up a big need for the Bears for the long run.
Mitchell Trubisky
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Like Jackson, Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky isn't necessarily posting gaudy numbers.
What Trubisky is doing, though, is quickly progressing through developmental steps. He's taking risks down the field, extending plays with his feet and at times even getting creative, like when he pitched the ball to a back while falling down in almost being sacked against Cincinnati in Week 14.
"There was really a lot of good," Bears coach John Fox said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam L. Jahns. "I know the result is not what everybody wants; I understand that. But as far as his growth and his maturation, I thought [it was] probably his best game as far as just him goes."
We can debate for days as to whether Trubisky should have started the season outright over Mike Glennon. Regardless, he's on the right path now and it's hard not to wonder what he might be able to do with another offseason of development and better weapons around him thanks to a strong offseason by the front office.
The man that it's all built around, Trubisky should keep climbing and turn into the face of the franchise down the road.
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