Although Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace missed most of his first round selections, he was able to put together an impressive 2020 draft class.
Leading the rookie class in 2020 was fifth round receiver Darnell Mooney, who quickly established himself as Chicago’s second receiver, behind Allen Robinson. The choice of the second round Jaylon Johnson, the seventh cornerback chosen in the draft, surpassed his predecessors and showed that he has a future in this league. Even the tight end of the second round Cole Kmet showed some potential in his debut season.
Here’s a look at how Chicago’s rookie gang did in what was an unconventional 2020 season.
TE Cole Kmet (2nd round, choose 43)
AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh
Season statistics: 28 receptions, 243 yards, 2 touchdowns
There were high expectations for the choice of Chicago’s best draft at Cole Kmet, but it is notable that it takes a year for the tight ends to adapt to the NFL. Kmet was virtually invisible in this offense earlier this year, and it wasn’t until Bill Lazor took over Matt Nagy’s play-call duties and Mitchell Trubisky asked to involve the rookie more in the attack that Kmet started showing flashes. It took a while for Kmet to move on, which had a lot to do with his use in the passing game, but Kmet was very promising in his second season.
SERIE B-
CB Jaylon Johnson (2nd round, choose 50)
AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh
2020 statistics: 44 total tackles, 15 pass separations, 1 material
There were six cornerbacks taken ahead of Jaylon Johnson in the NFL draft, and it was something that fed the newbie. According to the PFF, Johnson allowed five touchdowns and 41 receptions in 13 games for an average of 14.3 yards per reception and was also ranked sixth among all outside corners in the forced incompleteness rate (21%). Johnson was one of the best debuting cornerbacks in the league before a shoulder injury removed him from the remaining four games of the season. Still, Johnson’s future looks bright.
SERIE B
OLB Trevis Gipson (5th round, pick 155)
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2020 stats: 5 total tackles
We always knew that Trevis Gipson would be a project, which is why his unsurprising debut season was not a surprise. He played only in seven games, where he totaled five tackles. Still, it was not a significant sample size to judge Gipson. But you think that if he was impressing in practice, he would have gotten more repetitions than Vaughters. We’ll see what Gipson can do with a whole off season to improve.
DEGREE: C-
CB Kindle Vildor (5th round, choose 163)
AP Photo / Wade Payne
2020 stats: 17 total tackles, 1 break pass
The Bears have been devastated by injuries in the cornerback position since the off-season, which gave newcomer Kindle Vildor in the fifth round an opportunity in his first season. With Johnson off the pitch due to a shoulder injury, Vildor has been in action for the past four games, including the postseason. While Vildor had his share of fights in his debut season, there is certainly some promise for the young cornerback.
DEGREE: C
WR Darnell Mooney (5th round, choose 173)
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Season statistics: 61 receptions, 631 yards, 4 touchdowns
Say what you want about Ryan Pace’s difficulties in selecting players in the first round, but he sure knows how to find some gems from the last round. Darnell Mooney is the perfect example, a fifth round draft pick that proved to be one of the biggest steals in the NFL’s 2021 draft. Mooney had an immediate impact for the Bears, where he started as the # 3 receiver in week 1. In week 2, he was getting # 2 reps behind Robinson and was the # 2 receiver in week 3. Mooney showed impressive speed and great hands and he certainly has a bright future in Chicago.
GRADE A
OL Arlington Hambright (7th round, choose 226)
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Arlington Hambright saw the field for just 82 attempts during his debut season, where he took a penalty and did not allow any sacks. Seventy-seven of those pressures occurred in his first game against the Tennessee Titans. But, given the small sample size, it is difficult to classify it in its general body of work.
DEGREE: Incomplete
OL Lachavious Simmons (7th round, choose 227)
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Chicago’s final selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Lachavious Simmons was the only Bears rookie who didn’t play a regular season snap last season. The closest Simmons came to seeing the field was in Week 9, when he was promoted from the training team to the active squad against the Titans due to COVID-19 knocking out several attackers. Unfortunately for Simmons, he fell on the reserve / COVID-19 list and was unable to adapt.