The Chicago Bears are one of the mysteries of this upcoming NFL draft. They don't have a 1st round pick, so people haven't taken a lot of time to truly analyze how GM Ryan Pace might attack things. It's all guesswork at this point. Some think he's going to package the two 2nd round picks he does have to go after a player he covets in the 1st round. Others think he'll stay put and cautiously make the picks. Still others think he'll trade back.
This is before even getting into the possible players he might be targeting. That is even more difficult because there is no telling who could fall out of the 1st round and be there whenever the Bears finally pick. So with all this in mind, is there a way conceivable way to predict what the GM could end up doing when the time comes?
There is, and it's based on what he has already done. If Pace holds true to his trends this year, fans can expect the Bears to do two things in two weeks.
Ryan Pace operates a particular way in the 2nd round
#1 - It will likely be offensive-driven
No tendency is absolute in the draft. That much is obvious. However, it's hard to ignore in Pace's case. While most focus on his uncanny disposition towards trading up with is first picks, there is another that has held true as well. Of the five 2nd round selections the GM has made since he arrived in 2015, four of them have gone to the offensive side of the ball. They were Cody Whitehair, Adam Shaheen, James Daniels and Anthony Miller.
Only Eddie Goldman came on the defensive side.
That trend could easily hold true this year. For one, the offense doesn't exactly seem improved from where it was at the end of last season. Their most notable additions include 33-year old tight end Jimmy Graham, former 1st round pick Germain Ifedi who they are moving to guard from his longtime position of tackle, and of course Nick Foles. While one could say the offense is a bit better, nobody is prepared to say any of those guys move the needle for a unit that ranked 27th last year.
It needs a bigger jolt and since the defense remains in good shape, all signs point in that direction.
#2 - Odds are he will trade down with one of the picks
Again, most people these days know Ryan Pace as a guy who likes to move up in a draft. A true believer in quality over quantity. Then again, his 2nd round reputation is a bit different. Three times he has ended up trading down at the start of Day 2. He did so twice in 2016 before settling on Whitehair. Then he did it again in 2017 before grabbing Shaheen. He secured five 4th round picks and a 6th round pick with those moves.
Considering the Bears have no 3rd or 4th round choices going into this draft, it raises the odds even higher that he will do this. Otherwise, after pick #50 he'll have to wait until pick #163 in the bottom half of the 5th round to get back on the clock. That is a long space of time to go without making a pick. Something Pace may try to correct by maneuvering down the board.
He could even take an opportunity to add another pick to the already projected 10 he'll be getting in 2021.
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