About a B+
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/fo ... story.htmlChicago Tribune staffContact Reporter
The Bears generally received high marks for their 2016 draft class, though not all evaluators were sold on first-round pick Leonard Floyd or the Bears' decision to trade up to get him.
Still, most reviews rewarded them for their later picks, and they averaged about a B+ among 20 grades.
USA Today: B+
"The Bears did a good job addressing their many needs, especially with their first-rounder, Georgia LB Leonard Floyd, who fits the profile of the type of pass rusher coach John Fox loves to coach."
Pro Football Focus: A-
"A first-round talent on our draft board, (Cody) Whitehair was the top-graded offensive tackle in the nation in 2015, and he can play any of the offensive line positions with his strong hands."
WalterFootball.com: B
"They found a quality pass-rusher in Leonard Floyd, but moved up to do so. ... Fortunately for the Bears, the rest of their haul was mostly strong. Cody Whitehair and Jonathan Bullard were excellent values on Day 2."
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): A
"(This draft) will be defined by what (Leonard) Floyd becomes, but the rest of the draft was loaded with really good players. (Jonathan) Bullard will become the best player of the group."
Sports Illustrated: B
"The Bears may have reached a tad for Floyd unless they can turn him into an NFL-level pass rusher, but there’s not much to argue with otherwise."
ESPN (Mel Kiper): A-
"I have some concerns about Chicago's first-round pick, but the Bears made a bunch of good picks thereafter, so it's hard to call this anything but a really good class."
FoxSports.com: B+
"Pace and college scouting director Joe Douglas did the work on this one, identifying players that not only fulfill needs but could be seen as the best players on the board."
NESN: B-
The Bears upgraded their offensive line and added much-needed pass rushing with Georgia defensive end Leonard Floyd at No. 9 overall.
Washington Post: B+
"The Bears added likely immediate contributors in first-round LB Leonard Floyd and second-round G/T Cody Whitehair. "
Rotoworld.com: A-
"In addition to reeling off consistent value picks, Pace attacked needy areas on his roster and stockpiled quality football players who were productive in college. ... After having only six picks in his first draft, I think sophomore GM Pace hit a homerun here."
Yahoo Sports: B+
"Other than the Floyd pick, this class is good -- but it's also flecked with disappointment beneath the surface. The Bears tried in vain to land a quarterback several times, and getting jumped by the Packers for Indiana OT Jason Spriggs was a blow."
Cleveland.com (Chris Fedor): A
"I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears get six future starters (Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Jonathan Bullard, Nick Kwiatkoski, Deon Bush and Jordan Howard) from this class. It's where Chicago's turnaround will start."
Bleacher Report: B
"No. 9 seems a bit high for Leonard Floyd, but nobody can argue the fit or need. Cody Whitehair is a steal."
NFL.com (Chad Reuter): B
"Chicago needed a pass rusher in the worst way, and Vic Fangio found one in Floyd. Not everyone is sold on his ability to be an elite player, however."
SB Nation (Dan Kadar): B+
"There was some talk about Bullard being a first-round pick, so getting him in the middle of the third round was one of the bigger steals of the weekend."
Kansas City Star: A
"Nice draft for the Bears, who moved up to nab Floyd, a gifted 3-4 defensive end who is a bit underpowered but plays with fire and has plus ahtleticism."
Sporting News: A
"(Deiondre') Hall and (DeAndre) Houston-Carson, two of SN's small-school sleepers will have impact in the secondary."
New York Daily News: B-
"The Bears leapfrogged the Giants to get coveted linebacker Leonard Floyd of Georgia, and they may have done Big Blue a favor: Floyd, while athletically gifted, is far from a sure thing, a player who could be the next Simeon Rice or the next Barkevious Mingo."
Sports Xchange: A-
"No team did more with less during the first two days of the draft than the Bears, who aggressively moved up to acquire the most explosive edge rusher in the draft in Leonard Floyd, nabbed one of the toughest and most versatile offensive lineman in the country in four-year starter Cody Whitehair in the second and scooped up run-stuffing base end Jonathan Bullard -- who will prove a steal -- in the third."
New York Post: B
"Threw everyone — but especially the Giants — a curveball by swooping into the top 10 to take Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who needs to add some bulk before making a big impact."