One Moment During NFL Draft Reportedly Broke Chicago Bears’ Hearts

If there is one thing we’ve learned about the NFL draft over the years, it is that it doesn’t cooperate sometimes. There are years when a team inevitably goes in with a clear plan of action, but those plans are dashed due to various circumstances. That was the case for the Chicago Bears this year. Make no mistake. They came away with an exciting draft class headlined by two highly talented offensive weapons: tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden. However, many fans were upset the team couldn’t take advantage of a loaded running back class earlier than the 7th round.

Truth be told, so were the Bears. Everybody knows about the rumors of GM Ryan Poles exploring the possibility of trading up in the 1st round for Ashton Jeanty. While that is true, it never got serious due to the steep price tag. According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, the real hope was jumping up in the 2nd round to grab Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. Buzz had built for weeks that the Bears loved him. Sadly, he went to New England one pick before them at 38th overall.

The story behind how it all unfolded is heartbreaking and all too common.

On Friday evening, fingers in the Halas Hall draft room remained crossed that a swing at landing a playmaking running back would connect. Poles pressed the gas and made aggressive attempts to trade up. Henderson’s blend of speed and vision, plus his tenacity in pass protection and skill as a pass catcher, were alluring. The Bears had significant interest.

A deal with the Tennessee Titans at No. 35 felt possible. Until it wasn’t. The Titans found a better offer from the Seattle Seahawks.

The Bears’ push to cut one spot in line in front of the Patriots in Round 2 also had momentum. Until it didn’t. At the last minute, New England made its decision at No. 38. Henderson was announced as the newest member of Mike Vrabel’s offense at 6:33 p.m.

The Chicago Bears have experienced this type of disappointment before.

It is far from the first time a player they coveted went one pick before them. By far the most famous was 2014 when they had their sights on Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald with the 14th pick. He ended up going to the L.A. Rams at #13 overall. In 1998, they missed out on future Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson, who went 4th to the Raiders, forcing Chicago to take Curtis Enis instead. Their hopes of landing a franchise quarterback in 1970 were dashed by a coin flip, rewarding Terry Bradshaw to Pittsburgh.

Losing out on Henderson must’ve been a gut punch for Poles and head coach Ben Johnson. They knew what impact the Buckeyes standout could’ve had. Johnson’s offense had already been proven in Detroit with Jahmyr Gibbs. Instead, they were forced to pivot to Burden. Running back wasn’t addressed until the 7th round the next day. That is the kind of cascade effect such moments can bring. The Chicago Bears knew the Patriots were the biggest threat. As is often the case, they couldn’t find anyone to swing a deal with. Another reminder this job is tough.