Mel Kiper, the resident NFL Draft expert over at ESPN, issued his grades for the draft Monday and gave the Chicago Bears a B+.
The Bears just missed landing Leonard Williams, who went sixth to the Jets, but made a “sensible” pick by drafting Kevin White at No. 7, Kiper wrote.
The Seahawks, Steelers, Ravens, Redskins and Jets had the best drafts, according to Kiper, and all received A- grades.
The Jaguars, Bengals, Bears and Eagles occupied the next tier at B+.
Here’s what Kiper said about the Bears:
You could feel some suspense in the auditorium among Bears fans before the Jets (at No. 6) were set to pick. Would general manager Ryan Pace, who has major work to do on the defensive side of the ball, have Leonard Williams fall into his lap at No. 7 overall? Well, it didn’t happen because the Jets went with Williams at No. 6, but Kevin White was still the star of the night as he got a huge ovation and hit a clear need for the Bears. This wasn’t some massive steal on value, but a sensible pick and a good landing spot — they’ll need production from White in Year 1. My favorite pick for the Bears was probably Eddie Goldman early in Round 2. I thought he could have been taken in Round 1, and they needed to add a D-lineman. Hroniss Grasu has a chance to start early at center. He’s a great athlete who can get out in front of runners. Jeremy Langford gives them a solid depth option and should get his share of carries next to Matt Forte. Adrian Amos is obviously a favorite of mine (from my alma mater Calvert Hall), and though the Bears helped themselves in free agency at safety, they needed another one. Amos has a chance to help them. If there’s a void here, it’s a pass-rush addition, but you can’t hit every need, and they might have taken Preston Smith for that role if the Redskins hadn’t. Pretty good draft overall, with the big question being whether White can transition quickly, as well as the absence of a pretty good tackle prospect, though Tayo Fabuluje will get a good look.
You can read the Sun-Times’ own draft grades here, and the rest of Mel Kiper’s draft grades here (subscription required).
