some of the noobs here forget the Phil Emery days....
Phil Emery had his fair share of bad picks during his tenure as the Chicago Bears’ general manager. Which ones were the worst?
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Only five of Emery's 20 picks as general manager are still on the team, and only three of them are current starters. And one of them is a punter! To put that into perspective, seven of those 20 picks are currently out of the league.
In short, Emery’s draft selection doomed the Bears for years to come. His successor, Ryan Pace, is still having to deal with the 15-mile high pile of garbage that he left behind. Pace has had to rely mostly on his own draft picks, as well as free agent additions, for help.
In the most depressing list I've had to write to date, here is a ranking of all 20 of Phil Emery's draft picks.
20. Brandon Hardin, S
Hardin, a 2012 third-round pick, never played a down in the NFL. No-brainer here.
19. Evan Rodriguez, FB/TE
Rodriguez had four career receptions for 21 yards. That's it. Not too impressive for a fourth-round pick.
18. Greg McCoy, CB
McCoy never played a down in the NFL, but his seventh-round status saves him from falling any lower on this list.
17. David Fales, QB
Fales stayed on with the Bears on and off for three years, so there's that. But why use a draft pick on a quarterback who's only going to throw five passes in his career?
16. Ego Ferguson, DT
The selection of Ferguson was a head-scratcher then, and it still is today. The 2014 second-rounder only started in one game with the team due to poor performance and injuries and was released this offseason.
15. Brock Vereen, S
Vereen started four games with the Bears in his rookie year, but was released early in the 2015 season.
14. Khaseem Greene, LB
Once thought of as the steal of the 2013 draft, Greene started six games in his two years with the Bears, but was cut in May of 2015.
13. Isaiah Frey, CB
Frey was never anything special, but he did start seven games in his two years with the Bears. There have been worse sixth-round picks.
12. Cornelius Washington, DL
It was always a matter of "what if" with Washington. CornWash had talent, but couldn't stay healthy. The 2013 sixth-rounder had 30 tackles, three sacks and played in 31 games.
11. Jon Bostic, LB
Bostic started 17 games with the Bears and racked up 103 tackles. Although he never lived up to his second-round hype, he could've done worse.
10. Will Sutton, DT
Like Bostic, Sutton didn't live up to his Day 2 status. He did start 18 games and have 60 tackles, though. The Bears' switch to a 3-4 defense really affected his play.
9. Shea McClellin, DE/OLB/ILB
You know a group of players is bad when Shea McClellin is this high on the list.
The 2012 first-round pick only had 6.5 sacks with the Bears, but he started in 31 games and had 161 tackles with the team. His stats are better than some players higher on this list, but his lofty draft status drops him a bit.
8. Marquess Wilson, WR
Marquess Wilson could've been better than he was with the Bears. Nevertheless, he was still decent. The 2013 seventh-rounder had 56 receptions, 777 yards and three touchdowns in 31 games (14 starts) with the team.
7. Jordan Mills, OT
Mills wasn't great during his time with the Bears. Still, he managed to start in every game he played in the navy and orange. Although he only stayed on the team for two years, he was more reliable than a lot of players on this list.
6. Ka’Deem Carey, RB
Carey is the first player on this list who is still on the Bears. We've gone through 14 players without reaching a player still on the roster. Gadzooks.
The 2014 fourth-rounder might be in jeopardy of losing a roster spot this year. He has 111 carries, 443 yards, two touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. Not great, but hey, it's better than what a lot of other people on this list can say.
5. Pat O’Donnell, P
A punter made it into the top five. I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
O'Donnell has been a below-average punter during his tenure with the Bears. He has had 209 punts for 9,198 yards, along with 72 punts inside the 20-yard line. Whether he will be their long-term punter remains to be seen, but his roster spot seems safe for this year.
4. Kyle Fuller, CB
This is just sad.
Fuller had a great rookie season, in which he had four interceptions, 64 tackles and 10 pass deflections. His sophomore year wasn't as great - two interceptions, 55 tackles, nine deflections - but his 2016 season (or lack, thereof) raised some concerns. He missed the entire with an injury that could've been recovered from way earlier than it did. The 2014 first-rounder might not even be on the roster come Week 1.
3. Charles Leno Jr., OT
Charles Leno Jr. was Phil Emery’s lone late-round gem.
The 2014 sixth-rounder has started in 30 of the 38 games he's played; 16 of those starts came last year at left tackle. He has been slowly improving over time, and he may be due for a solid pay day next offseason in free agency.
2. Alshon Jeffery, WR
Alongside Brandon Marshall, Jeffery helped form arguably the most dominant wide receiver duo in the NFL for two years. After Marshall left, the 2012 second-rounder was easily the most talented offensive weapon the team had. Although he left for Philadelphia this offseason, the one-time Pro Bowler's contributions with the Bears will go down in history.
1. Kyle Long, OG
All three of Phil Emery's first-round picks were viewed predominantly as reaches. Only one of them truly paid off.
Long has been the heart and soul of the Bears since he joined the team in 2013. The three-time Pro Bowler has been a positive impact for the team on and off the field. He has been a dominant force in the trenches, and hence, he is the best draft pick in Phil Emery's otherwise awful tenure as Bears general manager.