Round 2
Round 5
Round 7
In Ryan Pace’s unrelenting mission to roster every tight end walking planet Earth, the Bears were the first team to dive into that positional pool in the 2020 draft, taking the Notre Dame product who hails from the Chicago suburbs. Kmet logged nearly as many snaps as the team’s TE1, Jimmy Graham, but his numbers (28 catches, 243 yards, two TDs) paled in comparison to Graham’s somewhat-underwhelming production (50/456/8). He seemed to improve as an in-line blocker over the course of the season, but that was far from a strength. Here’s the thing, though: Tight ends typically transition slowly to the NFL. So the experience Kmet gained in playing a full season — and starting nine games — shouldn’t be overlooked. Seven picks after Kmet, Pace nabbed a Day 1 starter in Johnson. The cornerback missed the final four games of the season (including the wild-card loss at New Orleans) with a shoulder injury, but before that, he gave Bears fans plenty to be excited about. The 6-foot, 195-pound CB had some struggles in zone coverage, but he was a physical force in man-to-man and tied for fifth in the NFL with 15 pass breakups, including a game-clincher in Detroit. Johnson and Kyle Fuller could be one of the better CB tandems in the NFL in 2021. The best bang for the buck came at pick No. 173, where Chicago grabbed the fleet-footed Mooney. Despite being the 24th wide receiver off the board, Mooney racked up 61 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns. A true deep threat who brings saucy route-running and aerial acrobatics, Mooney has the tools to beat the NFL’s best cover men. I mean, look at what he did to Jalen Ramsey. (Yes, the ball was overthrown. No, I don’t care.)
