Chicago Bears: 5 Late-round sleeper targets in 2019 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has a history of finding good talent late in the NFL Draft. Here are five 2019 prospects who can continue that trend.

For the first time in quite some time, the Chicago Bears enter the 2019 NFL Draft without glaring needs. They did a great job last year through free agency and the draft of plugging their holes and assembling a division-winning team.

Now the Bears just need to do some roster fine-tuning. Many don’t expect them to pick prospects who will make a big impact. They’ll just be players who add depth to the roster.

That, however, may be a mistake. While the Bears look strong, they need to keep an eye on the future. They did great picking up Ha Ha Clinton-Dix but got him on a one year deal. He is a very good safety, and if he has a good season with the Bears in 2019, re-signing him could be problematic. They need to have someone behind Clinton-Dix to take over in the case of his departure.

There is also the case of other players about to receive contract extensions. Offensive lineman Cody Whitehair is one of them. It might be difficult to find, say, a free agent replacement for Clinton-Dix, when they also need to resign someone like Whitehair. The better route would be to have a prospect who they control for four seasons.

General manager Ryan Pace has a history of doing well late in the draft. That’s good, because he only has five picks in this year’s draft and the first one isn’t until the third round. They also have picks in the fourth, fifth and two selections in the seventh rounds.

If Pace hits on some late-round prospects, that not only helps the Chicago Bears in 2019 but also helps beyond that. Here are five players who can help Pace continue his trend.