Bears 2009 Draft Recap

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 27, 2009 4:20PM

The NFL held its annual draft this weekend, but for Bears fans it was a real snoozer. The Bears didn't even make a selection until the draft's second day, when most of the players selected are known only to the NFL scouts and fans of their particular schools. Having already traded away their first round pick to the Denver Broncos as part of the Jay Cutler trade, they shipped their second round selection to Seattle on Saturday in return for a third round pick and a sixth rounder after unsuccessfully trying to trade for Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

While the Bears made nine selections during Sunday's session, it's hard to gauge the impact these lesser known prospects will have on the team. General Manager Jerry Angelo has a knack for finding later round talent, but it's not usually apparent who will surprise and who will fail to even make the team.

Entering the draft, the Bears biggest needs included wide receiver and defensive secondary. So it was perhaps a surprise when, with their first pick they chose defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert from San Jose St. With a real QB for the first time in decades, the team disparately needs better targets for him to throw to, so the Bears did end up drafting three wideouts on the day-- Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma) in the third round, Johnny Knox (Abilene Christian) in the fifth and Derek Kinder (Pittsburgh) in the seventh. In the secondary, they added cornerback D.J. Moore (Vanderbilt) and safety Al Afalava (Oregon St.). Overall, the Bears picked up five players on offense and four on defense. Will any of these guys fill the holes in the 2009 roster? It's too early to say.

But as Sport Illustrated columnist Peter King said in his post-draft recap, "Forget who's in the [Bears'] nine-man class. The Bears' draft is Jay Cutler." In making that trade, the Bears filled the franchise's biggest need after years and years of futile attempts to do so. With a capable, young QB under center, the team has time to build a competitive team around him. This draft may not put them over the top, but it'll hopefully help build the foundation for another trip to the Super Bowl.

Full List of Draft Selections:
3rd Round: Jarron Gilbert - DT San Jose State
3rd Round: Juaquin Iglesias - WR Oklahoma
4th Round: Henry Melton - DE Texas
4th Round: D.J. Moore - CB Vanderbilt
5th Round: Johnny Knox - WR Abilene Christian
5th Round: Marcus Freeman - OLB Ohio State
6th Round: Al Afalava - S Oregon State
7th Round: Lance Louis - OG San Diego State
7th Round: Derek Kinder - WR Pittsburgh