There is no greater debate happening right now regarding the Chicago Bears' 10th overall pick than whether they should take Ashton Jeanty. The organization hasn't drafted a running back in the 1st round since Cedric Benson in 2005. Before that, they'd taken four between 1986 and 2005. It tells you how much their process changed because of that Benson fiasco. However, Jeanty is a different animal. Many believe the Boise State star is a rare breed of talent that doesn't come around too often. The LaDainian Tomlinson comparison proves that.
Would GM Ryan Poles depart from his "premium position" philosophy to do this? Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provided a telling update in his recent column.
Ashton Jeanty may be the best player the Chicago Bears do not take this year.
Projections on the Bears differ when it comes to what they need in the NFL draft, but there has been an undercurrent through the league that they are interested in the Boise State running back. If only he’s there when it’s their turn.
So that confirms the Bears are interested.
There is one problem. It appears they may not believe Jeanty will make it to them at #10. Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron provided some crucial details as to why that is the case. It stems from a growing belief that two teams in front of the Bears are showing significant interest.
The Bears did have a representative on hand (all 32 NFL teams were there) to see Jeanty but of note:
Raiders GM John Spytek was on hand.
The Saints took Jeanty out to dinner the night before.
As far as I've heard, Eric Bieniemy was not in Boise to see or meet with Jeanty.
The Bears will be doing a top 30 visit with Jeanty so it certainly doesn't mean they aren't considering him but the lack of attendance at the pro day is notable.
Ashton Jeanty has plenty of hurdles to clear.
It starts with the Las Vegas Raiders. Their new head coach, Pete Carroll, is a well-known proponent of running the football. He proved that years ago when he traded for Marshawn Lynch, propelling the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship. He may wish to reinvent that setup with Jeanty. As for the New Orleans Saints, their longtime workhorse Alvin Kamara turns 30 years old in July. His time is running short. They may wish to stabilize the ground game for the future with someone like Jeanty.
While the Bears may love the idea of drafting him, it sounds like they're making detailed preparations for the eventuality that he won't be on the board. That is smart planning. Contingencies are vital in the NFL draft. Ashton Jeanty would be a tremendous addition to this roster and hopefully fix their 25th-ranked rushing attack. Sadly, that is the nature of picking later and later in the 1st round. Players you may want almost always go before you can get them.
