3 mistakes the Chicago Bears made in 2021 NFL Draft

2. Waiting on a wide receiver

A few picks after Herbert, the Bears used a compensatory pick on Dazz Newsome. The wide receiver out of North Carolina is an explosive playmaker who should contribute in the slot and on special teams.

It was a decent value pick, but why did it take so long for Chicago to grab a wide receiver?

Sure, they have Allen Robinson and added Marquise Goodwin in free agency, but the receiving corps they’re handing to Justin Fields leaves something to be desired.

The 2021 receiver class was particularly deep, too. There were some outstanding prospects still available in the fifth round when Chicago picked up a second offensive lineman in Larry Borom instead of going for a pass-catcher. Receivers who went after Borom include Iowa’s jet-sweep specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Stanford’s 6-foot-4 speed demon Simi Fehoko and Clemson Cornell Powell, who had a third or fourth-round grade from NFL.com.

They could have had Newsome and another prospect with an even higher ceiling.

This conversation applies to cornerbacks too. The Bears released Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine this offseason but waited until the sixth round to add Thomas Graham. Graham’s teammate Deommodore Lenoir was gettable in the fifth round. So were Ohio State’s Shaun Wade and seven other intriguing DBs who got picked in a run on corners at that stage.