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Brandon Murchison's 2020 NFL Draft predictions for the Chicago Bears. His 32 for 32 series looks at fantasy football implications for redraft and dynasty.
The Bears failed to pack much of a punch for fantasy owners in 2019. Aside from a steady effort from Allen Robinson, the offense fell well below expectations and now has a number of questions on its hands. Can Mitchell Trubisky find his way, or will the Bears need to start planning for the future again? Will the NFL Draft also welcome in talent to further this team's potential? Let's find out in our latest edition of the NFL Draft 32 for 32 series.
The focus of this series is to dive into each NFL team's needs to project their draft picks in this year's draft, which will go on as planned in late April. I will predict the first three selections and give fantasy football owners perspective on how this affects fantasy value. Whether it be a positional player or players on the defensive side of the ball, all selections made can help in some way when it comes to fantasy scoring.
As we have seen in recent memory, some rookies can enter this league and make an immediate impact. Based on the appropriate landing spot, this year's crop of prospects has the potential to create some very fantasy-friendly situations. When you're done here, look back on our previous installments by checking the links at the bottom of this page.
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2019 Review
The 2019 Bears offense struggled mightily with Mitch Trubisky under center. The team ranked 29th in scoring (280 points, 17.5 PPG) and were seemingly held back by the subpar play from their starting QB. Trubisky was missing far too many passes last season and was ranked among the league's worst in negatively-graded throws. Ranking in the bottom third of catchable pass rate, it's clear that Trubisky was lacking the confidence to get the ball into the hands of his receivers. His yardage (3,152) and passing scores (17) both regressed a season ago as did his ADOT (8.3) as he was taking fewer chances down the field.
His QB26 finish in fantasy is an indication of just how bad it was and is likely to be in that ballpark again this season. Trubisky should go undrafted in 2020 and will be no more than a bye week filler unless he shows some type of consistency throwing the ball or shows his chops as a runner again. It's also why the team brought in Nick Foles for competition, to bring out the best in their former first-round pick.
The hype surrounding David Montgomery entering the season was beyond control. He ultimately came out of the gate slow, losing the confidence of fantasy owners, before eventually finding a groove late in the season. He owned the Bears backfield with 242 attempts but the yardage (889) did not meet the usage. Although he forced 47 missed tackles on the season, he has to do a better job of gaining secondary yardage if his fantasy value were to increase. The seven total TD helped his RB24 finish, but only two of those came after Week 10.
Montgomery may be a player to target in fantasy leagues this year as the shine wore off for owners last season and you may be able to get him at a value. His ADP will ultimately be that of an RB2, but the ceiling is still there for a potential low-end RB1 finish. The pass-catching back Tarik Cohen was second on the team in targets (102) to Allen Robinson and will continue to be a factor in PPR formats as a Flex option most weeks.
The aforementioned Robinson had a quietly great season in 2019. Finishing as WR8 on the season, he was the Bears passing attack for much of the season. He had a whopping 153 targets on the season, but with Trubisky's inadequacies throwing the ball, he could only bring in 98 receptions. It's obvious that Robinson is past his previous leg injuries as he was a threat to all levels of the field a season ago. The odd stat with Robinson is his low YAC/Rec (2.68). It was an indicator of how Trubisky put him at low chances to succeed for extra yardage. If that area can improve along with an increase over his seven touchdowns, you could argue Robinson ss a sneaky top-five receiver in 2020.
The receiver opposite of him, Anthony Miller, is starting to finally put things together. The touchdowns might have come down (seven in 2018 down to two in 2019), but both the receptions (52) and yardage (656) improved. If the progression continues and Trubisky can iron out the wrinkles, Miller could be in play as a low-end WR3. But more than likely he will be a matchup based Flex option in 2020. The team added Jimmy Graham at tight end, but with the way this team uses the position, Graham will be irrelevant most weeks.
As for the draft, look for the Bears to focus on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line will need some additions to the depth. This team wants to implement a strong running game and finding improvements along the line can not go unstated. Although the defense is still very good, this unit took a step back in 2019 and some new blood could do the trick to get them back to one of the more feared defenses in the league.
Chicago Bears - 2020 Outlook
TEAM GRADES
Offense: 66.1 (27th)
Defense: 76.0 (10th)
Overall: 75.5 (21st)
TEAM NEEDS
OL, CB, LB
First Selection (2.11)
Shane Lemieux, OG Oregon
With the need to add depth and improvements to the offensive line, the selection of Lemieux accomplishes just that. He has the prototypical proportions for the position as a wide-bodied grinder. His toughness and physical, blue-collar play fit in well with a team that wants to establish a run game. He's athletic enough to perform in a variety of run schemes but excels in combo blocks and double teams.
He may struggle early on against athletic interior defensive linemen to maintain blocks and staying centered. But with his experience, that should be worked out quickly. Lemieux's work ethic could be contagious for the Bears as they want David Montgomery to control games for the offense.
Second Selection (2.18)
Isaiah Wilson, OT Georgia
The argument could be made that these two picks could be swapped and I wouldn't be surprised. With the early run on tackles in the first round, the Bears have Wilson slide to them and have to take the value. Back-to-back picks on offensive linemen is not out of the question for a team that graded out to be dead last in the NFL in rushing last season. Wilson is a big, broad tackle with outstanding traits and above-average potential.
His level of play was a bit inconsistent at times depending on the level of competition he faced. There are also some technique issues that he struggles with, but NFL level coaching should be able to round those out. Once these come into form, Wilson should project to be a solid starter for the Bears.
Third Selection (5.18)
Amik Robertson, CB Louisiana Tech
Due to trades made by the front office, the Bears' next selection falls to the fifth round. With a few needs left to address, the Bears should look to the secondary by picking Robertson. Kyle Fuller is a solid CB himself, but Artie Burns opposite him leaves a lot to be desired. Robertson is a bit on the small side for the position but plays with incredible intensity and toughness. He prefers to play press coverage and rides his opposition throughout the route.
But with his physicality, Robertson may get out-worked by savvy NFL slot receivers. He has plus ball skills and instincts that come out in zone coverage, but he must be able to shadow route to utilize them. Overall, Robertson could find a home with the Bears as their slot corner due to a lack of true depth.
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