:quality(70):focal(363x123:373x133)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/XPD5WJW47S73OYQ7NHAWEFIGJI.jpg)
Most days trying to offer a fair and objective analysis of the job Ryan Pace has actually done as the Bears general manager leaves one feeling very much like Sisyphus trying to get that dam boulder up the hill, and yet I keep on swinging.
I recently gave you a season-by-season breakdown of Pace’s six free agent classes prior to this year with grades, and now we will similarly detail his six drafts.
[ Hub Arkush: Just what kind of general manager has Ryan Pace been in free agency? ]
2015
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 1 (7) | WR Kevin White, West Virginia |
| 2 (39) | DT Eddie Goldman, Florida St. |
| 3 (71) | C Hroniss Grasu, Oregon |
| 4 (106) | RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan St. |
| 5 (142) | S Adrian Amos, Penn St. |
| 6 (183) | OT Tayo Fabuluje, TCU |
Quality undrafted free agents: CB Bryce Callahan, WR Cameron Meredith.
No trades.
Pace is regularly panned for using the seventh-overall pick on White, but no one could have predicted he would suffer season-ending injuries his first three years in the league, play just 14 games over four seasons as a Bear, and rarely, if ever, step on an NFL field healthy.
Goldman and Amos became rookie starters, and solid six-year vets like Bryce Callahan, who while also an injury waiting to happen, turned into one of the NFL’s best slot corners. Grade: C+/B-.
2016
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 1 (9) | OLB Leonard Floyd, Georgia |
| 2 (56) | G Cody Whitehair, Kansas St. |
| 3 (72) | DT Jonathan Bullard, Florida |
| 4 (113) | ILB Nick Kwiatkoski, West Virginia |
| 4 (124) | S Deon Bush, Miami (Fla.) |
| 4 (127) | CB Deiondre’ Hall, Northern Iowa |
| 5 (150) | RB Jordan Howard, Indiana |
| 6 (185) | S DeAndre Houston-Carson, William & Mary |
| 7 (230) | WR Daniel Braverman, Western Michigan |
Quality undrafted free agents: DT Roy Robertson-Harris, TE Ben Braunecker.
Traded No. 11 (Vernon Hargreaves) and No. 106 to Bucs for No. 9 (Floyd). Traded No. 41 to Buffalo for 49, 117 and 2017′s No. 117. Traded 49 to Seattle for 56 (Whitehair) and 124 (Bush). Traded No. 117 and 206 to Rams for 113 (Kwiatkoski.)
While Floyd’s never became the pass rusher the Bears hoped, he’s been a better pro than Hargreaves. The other trades netted Eddie Jackson, Whitehair, Kwiatkoski and Bush. Howard became a Pro Bowler and Robertson-Harris became a starter, making this an excellent draft. Grade: B+/A-.
2017
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 1 (2) | QB Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina |
| 2 (45) | TE Adam Shaheen, Ashland |
| 4 (112) | S Eddie Jackson, Alabama |
| 4 (119) | RB Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T |
| 5 (147) | G Jordan Morgan, Kutztown |
Quality undrafted free agents: G Rashaad Coward, LB Isaiah Irving.
Traded No. 3 (Solomon Thomas), 67 (Alvin Kamara), 111 and 2018′s No. 70 (Fred Warner) to 49ers for No. 2 (Trubisky). Traded No. 36 (Buddha Baker) to Cardinals for No. 45 (Shaheen), 119 (Cohen) and 2018′s 115 (Joel Iyiegbuniwe.) Traded No. 117 (Josh Reynolds) and 197 to Rams for No. 112 (Jackson).
The story will always be taking Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson with many of you not even realizing two of the extra picks Pace gave up in a trade he didn’t have to make to miss on Mitch turned out to be perennial All Pros Kamara and Warner. But how often does a team draft back-to-back All Pros in the fourth round, making it impossible to give this one a failing grade. Grade: C-/D+.
2018
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 1 (8) | ILB Roquan Smith, Georgia |
| 2 (39) | C James Daniels, Iowa |
| 2 (51) | WR Anthony Miller, Memphis |
| 4 (115) | LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Western Kentucky |
| 5 (145) | DT Bilal Nichols, Delaware |
| 6 (181) | DE Kylie Fitts, Utah |
| 7 (224) | WR Javon Wims, Georgia |
Quality undrafted free agents: RB Ryan Nall, CB Kevin Toliver.
Traded No. 105, and 2019′s No. 56 to Patriots for No. 51 (Miller). The Patriots traded the 2019 pick to the Chiefs, who took WR Mecole Hardman.
Smith and Daniels have shown All Pro skills and traits, and Nichols’ ceiling is very high, making this a very good group with Wims, Nall and Iyiegbuniwe all special teams warriors. Grade: B+. Could go to A- If Miller arrives.
2019
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 3 (73) | RB David Montgomery, Iowa State |
| 4 (126) | WR Riley Ridley, Georgia |
| 6 (205) | CB Duke Shelley, Kansas St. |
| 7 (222) | RB Kerrith Whyte Jr., Florida Atlantic |
| 7 (238) | CB Stephen Denmark, Valdosta St. |
Quality undrafted free agents: OL Sam Mustipher, OL Alex Bars, LB James Vaughters.
Traded No. 87, 162 and 2020′s No. 125 to Patriots for 73 (Montgomery) and 206 (Shelley). The Montgomery trade is looking better every day. You also have to add the value of Khalil Mack here and value all the undrafted free agents to grade it fairly. Grade: B.
2020
| Round (Pick) | Selection, College |
|---|---|
| 2 (43) | TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame |
| 2 (50) | CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah |
| 5 (155) | DE Trevis Gipson, Tulsa |
| 5 (163) | CB Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern |
| 5 (173) | WR Darnell Mooney, Tulane |
| 7 (226) | OT Arlington Hambright, Colorado |
| 7 (227) | G Lachavious Simmons, Tennessee St. |
Traded 2021′s No. 125 for 155 (Gipson). Traded No. 196, 200 and 233 to Eagles for 173 (Mooney) and 227 (Hambright).
While still benefiting from Mack, you can’t grade a draft after just one season. But this group is showing tremendous promise in Johnson, Mooney, Kmet and Vildor, with all four likely to be starting and significant contributors this coming season.
The reality and irony of Ryan Pace is two decisions, trading up from No. 3 to No. 2 and then using the pick on Trubisky rather than staying at 3 and taking Watson or Mahomes, probably cost him a few playoff wins and maybe even another Executive of the Year Award.
Instead it’s left him battling to keep his job.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/shawmedia/c6bebcda-8f5d-44d5-85d6-88f7a4f21c77.png)