In this series, I am going to do a quick IDP daft review for each team. We’ll take a look at their IDP draft haul, what it means for their team, and the impact it will have on fantasy managers. We continue the series with the Chicago Bears who are led by 2nd-year head coach Matt Eberflus, who led the Bears to a 3-14 record, in his first year. They have a lot of needs to fill before they can even think about being a contender. They made some key moves in free agency but this draft class is just as important. Let’s get started and take a deep dive into their IDP draft haul.
2nd Round 53rd overall - Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
The Bears have many holes to fill and they got started early in drafting a player in the trenches. Historically when the Bears have been at their best, they have gotten premium play at the defensive tackle position. This was a little early to draft Dexter imo but he has the size (6’6”/310 lbs) and length to play right away. Plays with power and has a knack for slipping through gaps. A run stuffer who will fit nicely in two-gap opportunities. Not a super clean prospect as he’s not very explosive and can struggle with double teams, with the latter being a must-improve. The Bears get a solid interior defender to add to the rotation and a big upgrade for their depth.
2nd Round 56th overall - Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
Chicago is set at the safety position with Jaquan Brisker and Eddie Jackson locked in as the starters. They have a number of corners such as Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon but Stevenson gives Chicago some major flexibility in the secondary, as he can play any spot at CB or safety. Stevenson is a fast athletic DB who will hit like a linebacker and play like a centerfielder (3 INTs & 24 PBUs) in coverage. The Bears will be able to use Stevenson all over the field and create matchup issues for opposing offenses. A height, weight, and speed prospect who is explosive. Has good ball-tracking skills but needs to improve his angles.
3rd Round 64th overall - ZacchPickens, DT, South Carolina
In the third round, Chicago went back to the trenches. And again they got another big powerful run-stuffing monster in Zacch Pickens. At 6’4”/298 lbs, he’s more athletic than Dexter and also provides more pass-rush opportunities from the interior. He does a good job recognizing and reacting to blocking schemes while using his long arms and active feet to keep constant pressure on the offense. Great value for a really good player that should be able to step in and help immediately for the Bears. In the fantasy world, he doesn’t offer a lot of upside for your teams at this time.
5th Round 148th overall - Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon
Not sure what to think here as they already addressed their LB spot in free agency, signing both Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards to big deals. They also have young gun, Jack Sanborn, whole played great down the stretch. Sewell can play both inside and outside but has some issues when playing in coverage. Overall he’s a good player that can help in the future but they had other areas that they needed to address with this pick. Has a deep line of NFL DNA and maybe he was the BPA for the Bears. For fantasy managers, he’s worth a shot somewhere in the 4th round or later but don’t expect an immediate return right away.
5th Round 165th overall - Terrell Smith, CB, Minnesota
Chicago goes back to the secondary here in the 5th round, as they select Terrell Smith a corner from Minnesota. He has really good size at 6’0”/204 lbs with a nice blend of speed and length. The Bears have a crowded CB room but Smith is good enough to compete for a role. He may eventually move to safety but will start out at special teams and depth at corner. For those of you who play fantasy, he’s not worth drafting right now.
7th Round 218th overall - Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw State
Chicago clearly knew that the interior defensive line was an issue and they aggressively addressed it. Having already drafted two solid IDLs earlier in the draft and now use one of their late-round dart throws on another one. Bell is a developmental player that will need to be coached up. He’s making a big jump from Div-II college football to the NFL, so there will be some growing pains early on. He has good size and tested well at his pro day, so there is some potential. Good depth piece for the Bears. In fantasy football, he’s not a viable option as of now.
7th Round 258th overall - Kendall Williamson, CB, Stanford
The Bears took another dart throw here in the last round on another big corner. Williamson could make a move to safety at some point with his size (6’0”/203lbs) and length. Has some upside as a depth piece but has a lot to work on. Misses way too many tackles and takes bad angles to the outside when in pursuit. Can be a key special teams option for the Bears. Not worth drafting in fantasy.
All stats provided by Pro Football Reference
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 email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
