The best Bears 2017 NFL draft pick? A good question. Much of answering it goes into personal opinion as most things do when it comes to judgment. Some people prefer the pick that fills the greatest need. Others like to seek out the one with the greatest overall talent. Those aren’t terrible ways to do it, but that’s not how this article will judge.
Sometimes the best way to gauge the best pick of a draft class is by combining a variety of factors. Namely talent, production, and where that player was selected. In that regard it’s hard to say Mitch Trubisky is the best pick of the draft. Is he the most important? Far and away. However, the Bears traded up to the #2 slot for him. They gave up a lot so the value part of that equation is somewhat weak.
No the best pick of this draft class has a tinge of irony attached to it. Not only is it the singular pick that came out of a top national program. It’s also the only defensive player selected by Chicago in the entire draft.
The best Bears 2017 NFL draft pick is Eddie Jackson
People will instantly denounce that idea because he’s coming off a broken leg from last season. Look there is no escaping the fact he got hurt, but by all accounts his surgery was a complete success. His rehab is full speed ahead and he should be good to go for training camp. That is what matters. Besides, he also tore his ACL early in 2014 but returned that same year to play 10 games.
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The kid is tough.
After all it’s not like the Bears took him in the first round. They managed to swipe him in the fourth, and that could be a gigantic steal. It’s important first to understand something. The first two years Jackson played for Alabama in college, he was a cornerback. He’d primarily played that position on defense since high school. It wasn’t until 2015 that he made the switch to safety. A position he barely knew.
Didn’t seem to matter though. In a span of 23 games he managed to swipe seven interceptions and return three of them for touchdowns. Most would have you believe he benefited from QB overthrows, brought about by a great Crimson Tide front seven. The truth is that’s just not the case. There were quite a few instances where Jackson showcased his ability to read the quarterback and beat receivers to the spot.
A vocal leader
Yet the ball skills are just the tip of the iceberg with him. Something the Bears have really wanted to get more out of their safeties is leadership. Sure they’ve had some experienced veterans and aggressive guys who play with energy. Just nobody who was a standout voice in that secondary. Someone who could get everybody lined up right and set a certain level of expectation both from them and himself.
Jackson brings that reputation with him from Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban even went so far as to say the young man is one of his all-time favorites he’s ever coached at the position.
It’s hard to argue with that. Jackson always seemed to set the tone for Alabama in big games. His six interceptions in 2015 came against Wisconsin, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Clemson. Two of those teams were nationally ranked and the other three were conference rivals. It’s fair to wonder how different the national championship this past season would’ve gone had he played.
Between the two title games, Deshaun Watson threw seven touchdowns and just one interception. Jackson was the man who got that interception. It was an absolutely crucial one too. Alabama trailed at that point 14-7 and had just punted. Clemson had a chance to widen their lead. Then Jackson stepped in and got the ball back. The Tide scored on the subsequent drive to tie the game 14-14 and regained momentum.
Could things have been different on that fateful final drive in the rematch had Jackson been there? Odds are teammates and coaches think so. It just feels like the Bears secured something they’ve sought for over a decade, and did it so casually that it’s almost easy to miss.
Well fans are likely to witness the depth of this steal when the real action starts in September.
