The 2021 NFL Draft was a bit of a return to normal. Cleveland hosted the draft outdoors with fans in attendance, a big stage for players to walk across and musical performances.
Commissioner Roger Goodell's chair remained though.
But for teams the scouting process was very much 2020. No scouting combine. A lot of remote meetings with prospects over Zoom.
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The Bears made six picks in the draft, including some huge offensive additions in quarterback Justin Fields and tackle Teven Jenkins, but they'll continue to bolster their roster with undrafted free agent signings.
Below are the latest undrafted free agent signings by the Chicago Bears.
10:09 PM - Bears sign Western Kentucky defensive back Dionte Ruffin
9:20 PM - Bears sign Troy wide receiver Khalil McClain
8:18 PM - Bears sign Stanford tight end Scooter Harrington
7:00 PM - Bears sign Clemson offensive lineman Gage Cervenka
7:00 PM - Bears sign Mississippi State G Dareuan Parker
The Bears add another offensive lineman, clearly setting out to bolster the unit to protect Justin FIelds.
6:59 PM - Bears sign Temple defensive lineman Daniel Archibong
6:52 PM - Bears sign Northwestern OT Gunnar Vogel
The Bears offensive line was a weakness for most of the 2020 season, though they moved some players around and it improved significantly by the end of the season. To address it, the Bears drafted two offensive tackles within their first three picks.
And now, they've added another offensive lineman.
6:41 PM - Bears sign Houston Baptist LB Caleb Johnson
Johnson is the first player from Houston Baptist to make it to the NFL, which is an achievement. Making the roster will be more difficult.
6:24 PM - Bears sign Costal Carolina RB CJ Marable
6:22 PM - Bears sign Stony Brook DT Sam Kamara
6:19 PM - Bears sign Stanford DL Thomas Schaffer
6:18 PM - Bears sign Virginia EDGE Charles Snowden
Snowden might turn out to be a steal as an undrafted free agent. Several analysts and pundits had him ranked in the top 200 on their big boards, including CBS Sports and PFF. Because he broke his right ankle last season, he went undrafted. He was unable to participate in the Senior Bowl because of the injury as well.
Here is a recap of the Bears' picks in this Draft:
- Round 1. pick 11: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
- Round 2, pick 39: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
- Round 5, pick 151: Larry Borom, OT, Missouri
- Round 6, pick 217: Khalil Herbert, RB, Virginia Tech
- Round 6, pick 221: Dazz Newsome, WR, North Carolina
- Round 6, pick 228: Thomas Graham, Jr., CB, Oregon
- Round 7, pick 250: Khyiris Tonga, DT, BYU
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