The Chicago Bears made 7 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, and while there’s no debating the popularity of their first two picks, the Bears did trade some picks away to get them.
The Bears also had a successful day three, but there were some other players still on the board that I heard some fans pining for,
We’re wrapping up this post-draft roundtable by asking the WCG team about the player that got away. Here’s how we answered this question.
Who is the one player that the Bears didn’t take that you were upset about?
Josh Sunderbruch: With how things played out, they didn’t have a chance at Josh Palmer, but I still like the way the kid plays ball. I’m not saying the Bears should have done something different to get him, but I am going to be watching him to see how his career develops.
Ken Mitchell: Upset? I’m not upset they didn’t take any particular player. I wish we could have found a way to add WR Dyami Brown out of UNC mid-rounds but I’m not upset about it.
Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter: Admittedly, I had Tedarrell Slayton as a guy who made complete sense to throw into the Bears’ rotation at D-Line. The fact a Florida Gator got picked up by the Green Bay Packers annoyed me to no end. The missed opportunity was rectified when Khyiris Tonga was selected the following round.
I did want to see the Bears draft a more explosive receiver on day two as well. The more premium weapons on offense, the better. Yet, when Chicago sent their 3rd rounder to Carolina for the opportunity to snag Teven Jenkins, I quickly accepted that price. It will be worth watching if Ryan Pace continues searching for veteran receivers for the remainder of the offseason.
Aaron Leming: Stone Forsythe was one name that I thought made a world of sense in the fifth-round for the Bears. It’s worth noting that he slipped an extra round but I’ll always be curious to know why because most (including myself) had him graded closer to a late-third round pick. One name I really loved in terms of fit for the Bears was Elijah Moore but he went well before the Bears even picked (after a trade up) in the second round. All in all, I was pretty impressed with the Bears draft. Which is the first time I’ve been able to say that in a while.
Sam Householder: I’m not sure I know enough about the prospects to pick one, because I just don’t study all these guys as intently as some of our guys do. I do know that it seems like a lot of people were shocked at how far Stone Forsythe fell, so if you were going to double-dip at tackle, why not take a flier on him late?
Robert Zeglinski: Before the draft I wanted Christian Darrisaw to be wearing a Bears uniform more than anything. I didn’t think a quarterback like Fields would actually still be available at No. 11 to make a reasonable trade up for. I wanted the next best thing, an offensive tackle to build around. It does sting that Darrisaw will make a home in Minnesota attempting (emphasis on attempting) to make Khalil Mack’s life a living hell.
What could’ve been, you know? Obviously it worked out in my favor in the end, but it didn’t have to be this way, and I’m still open to a trade. Never closing the door.
Robert Schmitz: All of the players I might include in this list were taken before the Bears had a chance to grab them — I was hoping a speedier slot-weapon like Elijah Moore or Rondale Moore would fall down the board (to 52), but they didn’t and the Bears addressed greater needs with higher picks anyways. The Bears came away from the 2021 draft with a future franchise QB, an instant franchise OT, a potential starting NCB, a potential rotational 3-4 NT, and an RB that could reasonably replace Montgomery in 2 years’ time — I’d have to reach to find something to be upset about because I’m VERY happy with who they got and where they got them.
Bill Zimmerman: There’s no specific player that I was upset about, it was that due to previous trades, the Bears didn’t have any 3rd of 4th round selections. I am thrilled with both the selections of Fields and Jenkins, but there is an ongoing issue with Ryan Pace and trading up and minimizing his total number of picks. (EDITOR: Something that Josh looked at here.) Olin Kreutz tweeted the most direct simple analysis on the first two days of the draft, “Love the two picks don’t like that there’s only two.”
Jeff Berckes: Spencer Brown, the OT from the University of Northern Iowa, would’ve been a fun developmental prospect for the RT position. As an Iowan, I would’ve enjoyed seeing a Panther and a Hawkeye create running lanes for a Cyclone.
Will Robinson II: Honestly, no one. Like I’ve said previously, there were no bad picks in this draft. There isn’t really anyone I look at and say “OMG So and So was still on the board!” There were a few guys I would have liked for the Bears to land, but none that made me upset vs who they actually took.
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: I’ll take the Fields/Jenkins duo over anything the Bears could have grabbed with the picks they traded for them, but on day three there were some more explosive wide outs I had my eye on. Two I liked that came off the board in the fifth-round were Iowa’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Stanford’s Simi Fehoko.
Now it’s your turn, was there a player that got away that you were hoping the Bears would have picked?
