NFL Gives Chicago Bears 2019 Draft Class a Solid Final Grade

The Chicago Bears 2019 draft probably won't go down in history as one of the most memorable. This is hardly a shock. That class was sacrificed to the football gods when GM Ryan Pace made his blockbuster trades for Khalil Mack and Anthony Miller the previous year. This left the team without their 1st and 2nd round picks and only five overall. It would be a considerable shock if the Bears got any production out of that rookie class at all.

Sure enough, they did just that. According to Gennaro Filice of NFL.com, the team earned a favorable C+ grade for their work last April. What makes it all the more impressive is that they scored higher marks than the Detroit Lions, who earned a C grade. Keep in mind the Lions had both their 1st and 2nd round picks. That speaks to the job done by Pace and his scouts in finding productivity under difficult circumstances.

However, it was made clear this success can be attributed to just one young man. That being running back David Montgomery.

"Montgomery did his best to overcome these adverse (offensive blocking) circumstances, breaking the eighth-most tackles in the NFL (47) -- which is how he finished second among all rookies in both rushing yards (889) and rushing touchdowns (6). Besides Montgomery's production, the Bears didn't get much of anything out of the rookie class. This isn't all that surprising, considering Chicago made just five selections last April, with Montgomery being the only player taken before Day 3 of the draft."

Chicago Bears 2019 draft still has a chance to be better

It wouldn't be a shock if somebody looked at the 2019 class as a one-player draft. The Bears wanted to get somebody who could fit their offensive system at running back. They feel they have him in Montgomery. That said, it's way too soon to pull the plug on what this group can be. The team remains high on wide receiver Riley Ridley, their 4th round pick. He ended the year on a positive note with 54 yards on three catches against Minnesota. There is also lots of optimism around 6th rounder Duke Shelley at cornerback.

If either of them manages to become regular contributors, it will be icing on the cake for the Bears. Not that Pace has any time to rest. The 2020 draft figures to be another big challenge. This time he'll be without 1st, 3rd, or 4th round picks. That leaves just two 2nd rounders in the top 100 selections. Not exactly a lot of leeway for making mistakes. He'll have to deliver under the gun again or risk offsetting any momentum his team had built up the previous couple of years.