It was going to be difficult for the Chicago Bears to show the rest of the NFL they could still improve their team in the 2019 draft. This despite no 1st or 2nd round picks and five picks overall. This while several other teams had two or even three 1st rounders alone.
So when the post-draft power rankings came out via NFL.com, expectations were they either stayed put or even lost a spot or two. Faith in the Bears has never been a big thing with the national media. Yet somehow this case proved to be different.
Elliot Harrison put the usual suspects like the Saints and Patriots at the top. However, he actually gave a Chicago a minor bump from #8 to #7 overall. His reasoning? The belief they finally got the missing piece to their offense.
"After some wheelin' and dealin' with the Patriots, the Bears tabbed David Montgomery (No. 73 overall) to join the mix after Jordan Howard's exit. My colleague Daniel Jeremiah saw Montgomery as the second-best running back in the draft. Ultimately, Montgomery should be a more appropriate fit for Matt Nagy's offensive style than Howard was.
The moment was so special that former Chicago center Olin Kreutz donned a Hawaiian shirt to mark the occasion. You'll find plenty of critics who've downgraded the running back position so much that they would automatically pan the Montgomery pick. Your friendly writer is not one of them."
Chicago Bears rise in power rankings are proof Ryan Pace gets it done
Indeed the Bears offense looks younger, faster, more athletic, and deeper than it did last year. Montgomery keeps the power capabilities of Howard and adds a higher degree of quickness, agility, and elusiveness. Not to mention a good pair of hands for catching the football.
Fourth round pick Riley Ridley adds to their arsenal at wide receiver along with speed undrafted free agent Emanuel Hall. They even got an overlooked tight end in Dax Raymond from Utah State. This is a fascinating new roster that seems to have more playmaking potential than the one that finished last season 12-4.
Exactly the way Ryan Pace wanted it when the offseason began. This is going to be a fun season.
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