Bears NFL Draft: Ranking Chicago's worst picks over the past 10 years

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Bears NFL Draft: Ranking Chicago's worst picks over the past 10 years

The Chicago Bears will select their starting quarterback with the first overall pick in the forthcoming 2024 NFL Draft.

The last time the Bears selected a quarterback in the first round of the draft was in 2021, when they picked Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall choice. The QB has since joined the Pittsburgh Steelers following three average seasons in Chicago.

The team has selected several players who will go down in history throughout its long history, but they have also had many busts that have hurt the franchise.

Supporters of the Bears have had to witness the team make some genuinely perplexing choices during the draft. Let's examine the five least successful Bears draft selections over the last 10 years:

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Listing Bears' worst draft picks in the last decade

5) DE Leonard Floyd - First round pick (2016)

The Chicago Bears cut Leonard Floyd in March 2020 after failing to develop the defensive end into a reliable game-changer over the course of four years.

The Bears had to move up to select Floyd with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The player had strong seasons in his first two years in the league, but his performance in Years 3 and 4 was lackluster.

Players selected among the top-10 picks are always expected to develop into the best in the league, but Floyd's defensive stats decreased as the seasons went by.

He had 7.0 sacks in his first season and went on to have 4.5, 4.0 and 3.0 sack seasons over the subsequent three years.

4) WR Anthony Miller - Second round pick (2018)

Anthony Miller was one of the more prominent selection errors made by former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace in the second round of the draft.

Miller was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2018 draft after they traded up for him. At the time, it seemed like a wise choice, considering Miller stormed into the spotlight as a rookie, hauling in 33 catches for 423 yards and seven touchdowns.

Although there were moments when the player showed signs of promise, he never lived up to the expectations in Chicago. Miller registered just 485 yards and two touchdowns at the end of the 2020 campaign.

His mishandled passes and badly executed routes became a continual cause of disappointment, continually hindering the team's progress.

The ejection that Miller received for hitting New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner Johnson eventually led to the Bears trading him away.

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3) QB Justin Fields - First round pick (2021)

Perhaps Justin Fields, who just got dealt by the Bears to the Steelers, can revive his career in Pittsburgh. Fields didn't succeed in Chicago, despite the great expectations that accompanied his pick and the expense of moving up to grab him on draft day in 2021.

Fields was retained by the Bears for three years, during which time they had two coaches and as many general managers, but he never lived up to expectations.

Fields was constantly teasing with his amazing running ability and the occasional nice throws, but the final outcome was typically disappointing. His Chicago records were 2-8 in 2021, 3-12 in 2022 and 5-8 in 2023, for a 10-28 total record.

2) WR Kevin White - First round pick (2015)

Kevin White was unstoppable in his last year of college in West Virginia, emerging as one of the nation's best wide receivers.

After a successful college career, White was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Bears, who were then under general manager Ryan Pace and searching for younger explosive offensive weapons.

A shin problem that worsened over time kept White out of action throughout his first campaign. He appeared in just five games, as his health issues continued to mount over the following two seasons. He had fallen down the depth chart by the time he started his fourth campaign in Chicago.

White has made an effort to make an impression on other clubs in the league since leaving the Bears, but he has not been successful in landing a good contract from any team.

1) QB Mitchell Trubisky - First round (2017)

The year Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes were drafted 12th and 10th overall, respectively, the Bears moved up one position to select Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in 2017.

Trubisky battled with consistency and was a major factor in the Bears offense's failure during his four years there, while Mahomes and Watson went on to prosper with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, respectively.

At 29, Trubisky is the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback and most likely will only work in that capacity for the rest of his career.

Chicago Bears Nation! Check out the latest Chicago Bears Schedule and dive into the Bears Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Bhargav
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