NFL
2022 NFL Draft: Grades for Kyler Gordon and Every Other Chicago Bears Pick
Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.
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The Chicago Bears had to sit back and mull over their 2022 NFL Draft plan for a long while since the entire first round unfolded without them coming up to the podium even a single time. But don’t mistake a lack of picks for a lack of needs.
Even if Justin Fields is the long-term answer at quarterback, the Bears needed to give him some wide receivers to work with other than — gulp — Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, and Equanimeous St. Brown. Plus, help was necessary along the offensive line so the Georgia Ohio State product wouldn’t have to make split-second decisions on every dropback. And that’s saying nothing of a defense that no longer has Khalil Mack to pair with Roquan Smith.
Chicago should have felt the pressure during the entirety of the 2022 NFL Draft even if it got to sit back and relax at the start.
2022 NFL Draft picks by Chicago Bears
- No. 39 Overall: Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
- No. 48 Overall: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
- No. 71 Overall: Velus Jones Jr., WR, Tennessee
- No. 168 Overall: Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah
- No. 174 Overall: Dominique Robinson, DE, Miami (OH)
- No. 186 Overall: Zach Thomas, OG, San Diego State
- No. 203 Overall: Trestan Ebner, RB, Baylor
- No. 207 Overall: Doug Kramer, C, Illinois
- No. 226 Overall: Ja’Tyre Carter, OG, Southern
- No. 254 Overall: Elijah Hicks, S, Cal
- No. 255 Overall: Trenton Gill, P, NC State
No. 39 Overall: Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
The Chicago Bears didn’t have a first-round pick but got a borderline first-round player in Washington CB Kyler Gordon. At just under a hair under 6-foot and 191-pounds, Gordon can play inside or outside. He also shows excellent athleticism on tape, although he ran a disappointing 4.55-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Overall, Gordon is a good pick and fills a need for the Bears D with a long-term partner for Jaylon Johnson. However, at some point, the team needs to get Justin Fields some help, too.
Grade: B+
No. 48 Overall: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
I’m tempted to copy and paste the blurb from above. Penn State’s Jaquan Brisker is a borderline first-rounder and a good value here. And, the Bears have a need to find a partner for Eddie Jackson. It’s a good value pick for a modern, playmaking safety who has good coverage skills. All that said, Justin Fields has to be sitting somewhere saying, “Come on, man!”
Grade: B
No. 71 Overall: Velus Jones Jr., WR, Tennessee
Finally, the Bears make a move to help out their second-year QB. Velus Jones Jr. is 6-foot, 204-pounds, and can absolutely fly. He ran a 4.31-second 40 at the combine. However, he overlaps a bit with Darnell Mooney’s skillset and projects more as a special teams star than a go-to WR. Jones is a bit of a reach here, especially with pass-catchers like Jalen Tolbert, Khalil Shakir, and Calvin Austin III still available.
Grade: C+
Day 3 Picks
No. 168 Overall: Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah
Jones has the traits to become a solid swing tackle or even a starting left tackle but is at least a year or two away from that. He could be a good long-term piece for the Bears offense but won’t help win games in 2022.
Grade: C+
No. 174 Overall: Dominique Robinson, DE, Miami (OH)
The Bears take another long-term project with upside. Robinson started his career as a wide receiver, so he’s still learning how to be a pass-rusher. He has all the physical tools, though, to get sacks at the NFL level within the next few years.
Grade: C+
No. 186 Overall: Zach Thomas, OG, San Diego State
Zach is the brother of Arizona Cardinals third-round pick Cameron Thomas. He has limited upside but did play guard and tackle in college and that flexibility will make him a solid backup and give the Bears more O-line depth.
Grade: C
No. 203 Overall: Trestan Ebner, RB, Baylor
Ebner is 5-foot-11, 206-pound back who’s better as a pass-catcher than a runner. He’ll be a good third-down back and could even play split out at receiver with David Montgomery.
Grade: C+
No. 207 Overall: Doug Kramer, C, Illinois
Kramer is a five-year starter and team leader but at 6-foot-2, 299-pounds, he doesn’t have the size or strength of an NFL center.
Grade: C–
No. 226 Overall: Ja’Tyre Carter, OG, Southern
Carter was a high school basketball star and will move from tackle to guard in the NFL. He’s another Bears pick whose upside is a decent backup.
Grade: C
No. 254 Overall: Elijah Hicks, S, Cal
Hicks is a high-character player who was a standout safety at Cal. He is a little undersized but has a nose for the ball. He will provide depth in the Bears secondary right away.
Grade: C
No. 255 Overall: Trenton Gill, P, NC State
Gill is a decent punter who doesn’t stand out in any way. It’s always good to have extra legs in camp, though.
Grade: C
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