Taking a Look at Jerry Angelo's Draft History Part I The 2002 NFL Draft

Anyone who is a Bears fan will know that the Bear’s General Manager Jerry Angelo has had his good times and his bad times in the draft since taking over the Bears in 2001.  While Angelo seems to hit the nail on the head with defensive players he has a problem drafting offensive players and thus this has helped lead the Bears offense into a state of mediocrity.

No one is quite sure of what formula a general manager uses to draft players but it appears as if Angelo uses the best athlete available scenario at times before going for the best player available or the greatest position of need.  This has come back to haunt him at times but there have been other times where it has helped the Bears so it’s not all bad.

The following is the first part in a series taking a look at the drafts that Angelo has had while with the Bears.  There is a look at each player drafted, how they performed with the Bears and where they are now (either in or out of the NFL).

Here is a look at the 2002 NFL Draft, Angelo’s first draft.

Round One-Marc Colombo-OT-Boston College-The Bears needed help on the offensive line and Colombo was there for the taking.  However, Colombo’s career in Chicago was wrought with injuries and the Bears released him following the 2005 season and he went on to play for the Cowboys where he is a starter today.  Had Colombo not been hurt for most of his career in Chicago he might have turned out to be a fine offensive tackle in Chicago but for right now he is doing pretty well in Dallas.

Round Three-Roosevelt Williams-CB-Tuskegee-Williams started three games and played in seven during his short career with the Bears.  The following season he went to the Cleveland Browns and also played for the Washington Redskins, the New York Jets and Canada’s Edmonton Eskimos.  He was just a one year wonder for the Bears.

Round Three-Terrence Metcalf-OG-Mississippi-Metcalf was brought in to be the eventual starter at one of the offensive guard positions but never quite got it.  He was with the Bears up until last season but during the 2008 season, he was suspended for taking steroids and his contract was not renewed after the season.  During his career with the Bears, Metcalf played in 84 games starting 25 of those games and didn’t really stand out during his career.  After being let go by Chicago, Metcalf tried out in Detroit but was cut and is not currently playing in the NFL.

Round Four-Alex Brown-DE-Florida-Brown can probably be considered to be the best find of the 2002 NFL Draft for the Bears as he has had a pretty decent career since coming to the Bears.  Since joining them, Brown has had played in (through the game on November 8th) 120 games starting 99 games during that time.  Brown has had some problems with injuries in the past but has played well so far this season and should be with the Bears for at least two or three more seasons.

Round Five-Bobby Gray-S-Louisiana Tech-Gray played just one season for the Bears but had a pretty solid season registering 88 tackles.  Gray didn’t play for the Bears or anyone else after the 2002 season.

Round Five-Bryan Knight-DE-Pittsburg-Knight played two seasons with the Bears and recorded 50 tackles.  He was let go after the 2004 season and ended up with the Carolina Panthers for a short time in the preseason but went out of the league after that.

Round Six-Adrian Peterson-RB-Georgia Southern-Peterson is another member of the Bears that is still with the team (out of this draft class).  Since joining the Bears, Peterson has played in 84 games starting six of those games (at running back) and Peterson has become an asset on special teams for the Bears.  Peterson was in a little bit of trouble this offseason with possibly getting cut but he is a valuable member of this squad and will be around for at least a couple more seasons.

Round Six-James Elliott-WR-Delaware-Elliot was with the Bears for just one season and played in just two games before being released.  He landed with the Patriots the next season and then the Atlanta Falcons in 2006 but never played more than two games.  He is out of the NFL now.

Round Six-Bryan Fletcher-TE-UCLA-Fletcher didn’t play a single game for the Bears and failed to make the team after training camp in 2002.  Fletcher came back into the NFL in 2005 and played three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts starting 18 games while playing in 46 games.  He was out of the NFL after the 2007 season.

This draft shows us just how many players Angelo has drafted that have failed to stick with the team.  Out of this draft of nine players only two remain with the team and those same two players are the only players to have a big impact on the team.  Yes, this was Angelo’s first draft with the Bears so we can give him a pass there but still, he needed to get more out of this draft than just two productive players. 
Next Up: Angelo’s 2003 Draft.