Detroit Lions 2019 NFL Draft: NFC North draft recap

Chicago Bears 2019 Draft Class

R3 (9) – David Montgomery – RB / Iowa State
R4 (24) – Riley Ridley – WR / Georgia
R6 (32) – Duke Shelley – CB / Kansas State
R7 (8) – Kerrith Whyte Jr. – RB / Florida Atlantic
R7 (24) – Stephen Denmark – CB / Valdosta State

The Bears’ draft capital was partially exhausted this year due to the aforementioned acquisition of Khalil Mack. Therefore, they had to wait until the third round to make their first pick and address one of their biggest needs.

After dealing running back Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the draft, the Bears found a suitable replacement in Montgomery (pictured above). He is one of the most well-rounded backs in this class. He doesn’t have a particularly high ceiling, but he should contribute early.

Chicago double dipped in the backfield, selecting Whyte Jr. in the seventh round to help support satellite back Tarik Cohen. The Bears offense uses an exotic package of running plays under head coach Matt Nagy, so the whole backfield could see their share of snaps in 2019.

Also on offense, Chicago selected wide receiver Riley Ridley in the fourth round, Georgia’s leading receiver from 2018. The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley, Riley isn’t as polished as his older brother, but he has the potential to become a good number two receiving option. The Bears haven’t hit on many receivers in the draft in recent years, but Ridley could buck that trend.

Chicago also added a pair of cornerbacks in the sixth and seventh rounds in Shelley and Denmark. NFL corners tend to have a steep learning curve in their rookie year, so don’t expect much from these two in 2019. They do have the benefit however, of joining one of the NFL’s strongest defenses, so they can focus on development and special teams contributions this season.

With just five picks in this year’s draft, the Bears had the second fewest in the league. They are also fresh off of an NFC North title and have their sights set on bigger things in 2019. With a deep roster and an innovative head coach, they will be counting on development from within in what should be one of the NFL’s toughest divisions in 2019.

Which of the NFC North’s 2019 draft selections do you think will have a big impact next season? Let us know in the comments section below.