The 2022 NFL draft is now in the books and I begin my breakdown of each team's IDP draft class. In the last installment of this series I wrote up the Carolina Panthers and now I move to the Chicago Bears where I look at who they drafted and the potential impact these rookies can have. The Bears have some weak spots they need to improve before they become a bigger problem. I will cover every IDP drafted from the top overall pick to Mr irrelevant.
Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington (2nd Round 39th Pick)
One of the Bears' biggest needs is in their secondary. They have a couple of nice pieces in safety Eddie Jackson and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. With no 1st round pick, they had to wait until the second round where they quickly got to work on addressing their needs. With the 39th overall pick, Chicago selected Kyler Gordon, who many had a first-round grade on. Gordon is very athletic and plays with physicality and an Alpha mentality, all of which show up in his film. He can play both press and off coverages but needs to work on his instincts and trust what he sees. With some polish to his game and NFL coaching, Gordon has a great opportunity to possibly win a starting job as a slot CB, who is disruptive as a run blitzer.
Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State (2nd Round, 48th Pick)
As I just mentioned above, the Bears wasted no time upgrading their secondary. First, they drafted Gordon and nine picks later they selected Juquan Brisker. They used Tashaun Gipson next to Jackson at safety, but he wasn’t the impact player they needed. Brisker gives them more physicality and impact play-making capabilities that weren’t getting before. Jackson along with Brisker gives the Bears a plethora of matchup options that plays to their advantage. He’s a tough, physical player who can play the box, post, and slot safety roles. This type of chess piece is just what Chicago needed on the backend of their secondary. This also gives the Bears a successor option to Jackson if or when they decide to move on from him.
Dominique Robinson, Edge, Miami (OH) (5th Round 174th Pick)
The Bears need some depth at pass rusher after losing Khalil Mack to free agency. Even though he was hurt more than they liked, he was still a force. However, they do have Robert Quinn (18½ sacks) and Trevis Gipson (7 sacks) locked in as starters, but after that, it gets extremely thin. The Bear’s drafted Dominique Robinson in the 5th round, who is a former WR and only has two seasons of edge rush experience. He’s a developmental player without question but has the frame (6’5”/243 lbs) for them to build on. In 15 career games as a defender, Robinson produced 11 TFLs and 6½ sacks, but it’s a big jump from the MAC to the NFL. I wouldn’t expect much if anything the first few years, as he’ll be a practice squad player or special teams player at best. It’s all about how quickly he develops. If you have room take a flier and stash him on your taxi squad.
Elijah Hicks, DB, California (7th Round 254th Pick)
Chicago goes back to the defensive back pool here in the 7th round and selects Elijah Hicks from California, who had a heck of a senior season for the Golden Bears. In 12 games played, he produced career-best totals in tackles (72), solo stops (49), TFLs (5½), interceptions (3), and forced fumbles (4). He can play both corner and safety, so that is a big check in his box. Hicks is an intelligent and instinctive player, but doesn’t or hasn’t shown a high-level skill set to this point. As I mentioned earlier, the Bears' depth and quality in their secondary group were lacking, and getting Hicks here late, is a nice value pick with some upside.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
