LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- It proved to be an impossible task to dampen the enthusiasm of Ryan Pace during his fifth draft as Bears general manager.
For Pace, the excitement isn't in the quanity of picks but the quality. He feels great about what the Bears have added to a team that went 12-4 and won the NFC North crown in 2018.
"Really with limited draft picks, I really feel like we maximized it," Pace said of the Bears' five-player draft class.
Here's what the Bears added with the 2019 draft:
Analysis: It became clear the Bears hoped to find their next feature back this weekend, and they made the aggressive move up to make that happen. Pace traded up 14 slots in a deal with the Patriots that allowed them to land Montgomery, whom Pace feels is the ideal fit for coach Matt Nagy's offense.
He said it: "My ability and my motor not to go down. Being able to make people miss. Being able to catch the ball." ― Montgomery on his strengths
Quote to note: "Outstanding production, vision, instincts, contact balance. He's elusive in the hole. And on top of that, he has unbelievable makeup and character. We couldn't be happier to have him as part of our organization." ― Pace
Analysis: Pace had said he was excited the Bears could truly draft best player available this weekend given their clean depth chart. That proved to be true in selecting Ridley, taking the value pick at a position of present strength. Ridley, the brother of Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, is considered an excellent route runner and could become a weapon in Nagy's offense.
He said it: "When you have an older brother that told me things and being positive and then you’re able to fulfill some of those things, it’s incredible to see a smile on his face." ― Ridley
Quote to note: "Great example of us taking the best player on our board. A lot of traits we like about this player. Obviously his size, his hands, his catch radius, his ability to win contested battles, his route running and just increasing competition at the position. Truly by far the best player on our board." ― Pace
Analysis: The Bears added depth at cornerback with the intriguing Shelley, who at 5-foot-9 played outside for the majority of his four years starting at Kansas State. Shelley projects to play in the nickel role at the NFL level. The Bears had success developing Bryce Callahan at the nickel position. Shelley seems to have their interest as a developmental player.
He said it: "I love everything about the team. I’m just ready to come in and go to work." ― Shelley
Quote to note: "A guy I feel like we've been talking about internally for a long time. A little bit undersized but extremely athletic. Really twitchy. Good ball skills. A guy we've liked for a long time internally and excited to get him at that point." ― Pace
Analysis: You can never have enough playmakers, and that certainly is the mindset of Pace and Nagy. It's what led the Bears to selecting Whyte with one of their seventh-round picks, adding another element of speed to the offense. At the minimum, Whyte adds depth at running back but the Bears will give him a chance to compete for a role.
He said it: "I have long speed, very explosive, can do a lot of things, just make big plays." ― Whyte
Quote to note: "The first trait when you're talking about this player is speed. Standout speed for this guy." ― Pace
Analysis: The back end of the draft is for finding intriguing project players, and Denmark fits that billing. The 6-foot-3 Denmark converted to cornerback from receiver during his time at Valdosta State and will now continue that transition at the NFL level.
Quote to note: "A guy we feel has tremendous upside ahead of him and a guy that both our defensive coaches, our special-teams coaches and our scouts were equally excited about. Just working with that upside and the talent that he has." ― Pace
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
