2015 NFL Draft grades: Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears draft class is headlined by wide receiver Kevin White, so how well did Ryan Pace do in his first draft? Here’s his draft grade.

It was an offseason of change for the Chicago Bears who hired a new general manager in Ryan Pace who brought in a new head coach in John Fox and the team traded former Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall.

The Bears were one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last year when they went from a preseason darling to a 5-11 team with a historically inept defense and an offense that took several steps back in the second year under Marc Trestman. Jay Cutler was benched in Week 16 and dealt with rumors about his future in Chicago all offseason.

During draft day, the whispers wouldn’t stop about the Bears trying to get the No. 2 pick so they could take quarterback Marcus Mariota but ultimately they stayed at No. 7 and it remains to be seen how serious the Bears were about their interest in the No. 2 pick.

The Bears took West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White who was the best player available and fills a huge need. He has arguably the highest ceiling of any receiver in this class, including Amari Cooper who went fourth to Oakland. He tore up the combine with a 4.35 and 23 reps on the bench after a wildly productive year at West Virginia.

In the second round the Bears took Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman who could have been a first round pick and gives the Bears a powerful run stuffer to play the nose and he’s capable of pushing the pocket on passing downs.

The Bears again remained true to their board and took the best player available with Goldman and in the third round when they took Oregon center Hroniss Grasu. He’s been one of, if not the best center, in college over the last two years and brings a wealth of athleticism and intelligence to the position. Could be a starter from Day 1 just like former Bear Olin Kreutz.

For the second year in a row, Chicago took a running back in the fourth round (Ka’Deem Carey) when they took Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford. He is a smaller back who can be a real home run hitter with his speed and acceleration and ran the fastest 40 among running backs at the combine with a 4.42 at 208 pounds. He finished his Michigan State career with 15 straight 100-yard games against Big Ten opponents and 1,522 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The Bears addressed the secondary in the sixth round with Penn State safety Adrian Amos. He played corner earlier in his career, but at 6-0 1/2 and 218 pounds is likely to stick at safety with the Bears and contribute on special teams. He has ideal size for the position and has above-average coverage skills from his time as a corner and should be able to match up against pass-catching tight ends. I think there’s some nice upside here.

With their last pick, the Bears took massive offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje in the sixth round. At nearly 6-7 and 353 pounds he is a mountain of a man who makes it nearly impossible for players to get around him and at that size you’re not getting through him. But he does need to keep his weight in check after weighing more than 400 pounds earlier in his career. Could be a candidate for the practice squad initially to refine his technique, get him in better condition and instill a bit of a mean streak in him.

Grade: A-

Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick of All-Time

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