Chicago Bears fans have lived through a rollercoaster of draft highs and sharp disappointments since 2000, often frustrated by missteps that felt like missed windows to finally turn the page, even as occasional bright spots—like finding a foundational player in later rounds or hitting on a franchise quarterback—gave them a flicker of optimism.
Today, we look at five players that the Chicago Bears got right at the NFL Draft.
5 Great Chicago Bears Draft Choices
Brian Urlacher – LB, 1st Round, 9th Overall (2000)
If you’re talking about modern Bears draft home runs, you pretty much have to start with Brian Urlacher.
Urlacher walked in as a top‑10 pick with big expectations from online casino bettors and still managed to overdeliver. He became the face of the franchise, a Defensive Rookie of the Year, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a multi-time All‑Pro, and ultimately a Hall of Famer. He was the heartbeat of those early‑to‑mid‑2000s Bears defenses — the guy offenses had to game‑plan around every single week.
On top of the production, he gave the team over a decade of high‑level play at a physically brutal position. When a first‑round pick becomes the defining player of an era and ends up in Canton, that’s an easy A.
Devin Hester – KR/PR/WR, 2nd Round, 57th Overall (2006)
Devin Hester might be the best pure return specialist in NFL history, and the Bears got him in the second round.
On paper, drafting a “return guy” that high could’ve looked risky. In reality, Hester changed games, seasons, and even rulebooks. He flipped field position, stole momentum on the first snap of games, and turned special teams into must‑see TV. The image of him housing the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl is basically burned into NFL history.
Even if you ignore his contributions on offense, the number of points and hidden yards he generated makes this pick feel like a cheat code. When a second‑rounder becomes the unquestioned GOAT at what he does, that’s A‑plus territory.
Lance Briggs – LB, 3rd Round, 68th Overall (2003)
Lance Briggs is one of those guys who might’ve been a bigger national star if he played anywhere else or at a different time. For Bears fans, though, he was a rock.
As a third‑round pick, Briggs gave Chicago borderline first‑round production. He made multiple Pro Bowls, played sideline‑to‑sideline, and formed a devastating tandem with Urlacher. Offenses couldn’t just run away from No. 54, because No. 55 was waiting for them on the other side.
You don’t often get a long‑term defensive cornerstone in Round 3. The combination of value, longevity, and consistency makes this a textbook A draft pick.
Matt Forte – RB, 2nd Round, 44th Overall (2008)
Matt Forte was the ultimate “do everything” back for Chicago.
From the moment he showed up, he was a workhorse runner, a smooth receiver, and a guy you could leave on the field in any situation. He racked up yards from scrimmage season after season, often carrying an offense that didn’t always give him much help. At his peak, he was one of the best all‑around backs in the league, even if he didn’t always get the same national hype as some of his peers.
Getting that kind of three‑down production in the second round, for as many years as the Bears did, is exactly what teams dream of on draft day. That’s an easy A.
Eddie Jackson – S, 4th Round, 112th Overall (2017)
Eddie Jackson is the classic mid‑round swing that pays off in a big way.
Coming out of college, there were questions because of his injury history, and that’s part of why he slid to the fourth round. Once he got to Chicago, he erased those doubts quickly. Early in his career, he was a turnover machine — pick‑sixes, fumble returns, huge momentum plays — and became the ball‑hawking safety that powered one of the league’s nastiest defenses.
Any time a fourth‑round pick turns into an All‑Pro‑caliber player and a legitimate playmaker on the back end, you’re talking about massive value. Even with some ups and downs later, the initial impact easily earns an A.
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