How The Worst Bears Draft in a Decade Could've Changed Everything

There is a debate about where the true decline of the Bears began. Some think it was right after the Super Bowl in 2006. Truthfully the first real signs of slow disintegration came in 2011. Not only was that the year Jay Cutler broke his thumb and Brian Urlacher tore up his knee, both catastrophic injuries. It was also the year of the worst Bears draft in at least the past decade. No joke. They made six selections that year, supposedly one of the most talent-rich drafts in recent memory and none of those picks are on the roster anymore.

• 1st Round - Gabe Carimi (OT, Wisconsin)
• 2nd Round - Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State)
• 3rd Round - Chris Conte (S, Cal)
• 5th Round - Nathan Enderle (QB, Idaho)
• 6th Round - J.T. Thomas (LB, West Virginia)

Carimi made it two games as a rookie before suffering a terrible knee injury that he never really recovered from. Paea was a decent starter at nose tackle before leaving as a free agent in 2015. Conte was an inconsistent and injury-prone player who hovered in and out of the starting lineup. Enderle never played a down in the NFL. Thomas was a special teams standout but was gone after two years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7em_q-zEeA

The Worst Bears draft could've changed everything

That draft is what got Jerry Angelo fired and ushered in the era of Phil Emery who promptly almost one-upped him with another terrible run in 2012. Only the brief brilliance of Alshon Jeffery helped avoid that. It's amazing to think how different things might be now had Angelo not so badly bungled that year. In fact looking back, people don't realize how easily the Bears could've met all of their needs with future quality players. Here is a re-drafting of those six picks, featuring players who were still available and taken relatively close to that position. Just try not to cry when reading it.

• Muhammad Wilkerson (taken one pick after Carimi)
• Rodney Hudson (taken two picks after Paea)
• K.J. Wright (taken six picks after Conte)
• Tyrod Taylor (taken 20 picks after Enderle)
• Derek Newton (taken 19 picks after Thomas)

No joke. Almost every need is still met. Wilkerson would've made an ideal defensive tackle and interior pass rusher. He has 41 career sacks to date. Don't forget 2011 was the year Olin Kreutz vacated the center position for the Bears, leaving a gaping hole they couldn't fill until the arrival of Cody Whitehair five years later. Rodney Hudson, a Pro Bowler, would've changed that. K.J. Wright is one of the unheralded members of the Legion of Boom defense up in Seattle. He could've been the heir apparent to Lance Briggs who was 31-years old at the time. Tyrod Taylor, a Pro Bowl QB in Buffalo today, would've made the ideal backup to Cutler. To think he was taken so far after Enderle is incredible. As for Newton, he's had a far more productive NFL career as a tackle than Carimi and was taken in the seventh round. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/39-Muhammad-Wilkerson-DE-Jets-Top-100-NFL-Players-of-2016.mp4"][/video]

What could've been

Sure it's easy to have hindsight in these situations. Still it's also fair to wonder what might've been for the Bears at this point had they not bungled that draft so badly. It's quite possible Angelo might still be GM and even Lovie Smith might still be head coach. In the end it's proof positive that the NFL draft can be a fickle beast. It will grant all your wishes one year and then shatter your dreams the next. The level of work and instinct required to succeed at it consistently is almost herculean. A subtle reminder of just how much pressure Ryan Pace is under going into this offseasons' main event.