2020 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears pick TE Cole Kmet, CB Jaylon Johnson in 2nd round

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, April 25, 2020
NFL Draft 2020: Chicago Bears get ready for Day 2 of draft
The Chicago Bears are set to make two picks in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Bears made seven selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, which is being held virtually for the first time ever due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The draft was broadcast on ABC and ESPN. The first round got underway 7 p.m. Thursday. Rounds two and three took place Friday and rounds four through seven began at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Bears take pair of offensive linemen in seventh round

With back-to-back picks in the seventh round, the Chicago Bears selected offensive tackle Arlington Hambright out of Colorado and guard Lachavious Simmons from Tennessee State.

Hambright is 6'4", 307 pounds and started 11 games for Colorado last season where he had 68 knockdown blocks. Simmons is 6'5", 315 pounds.

Bears pick DE Trevis Gipson from Tulsa, CB Kindle Vildor of Georgia Southern and WR Darnell Mooney of Tulane in fifth round

The Chicago Bears made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for pick 155 in fifth round and selected Trevis Gipson, a defensive end from Tulsa.

Last season, Gipson had 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles in 12 games, with eleven starts.

With their second pick in the fifth round, 163rd overall, the Bears selected cornerback Kindle Vildor out of George Southern.

Vildor was first team All Sun Belt in 2018 and 2019 despite missing time due to injury last season. In 11 games last season, Vildor had 27 tackles, three for loss, two interceptions and six pass breakups.

The Bears then made another trade, acquiring the 173rd overall to draft Darnell Mooney, a wide receiver from Tulane.

Last season, Mooney had 48 catches, 713 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Bears pick CB Jaylon Johnson from Utah in second round of the NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears made Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson their second pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.

Johnson was the Bears' pick in the 50th overall round of the draft.

Johnson fills a void in the secondary where the Bears were looking to complement Kyle Fuller. A first-team, All Pac-12 selection the past two seasons, he had two interceptions and a team-high 11 pass breakups as a junior last year.

Bears pick tight end Cole Kmet in second round of NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears addressed one of their biggest weaknesses on a struggling offense by drafting Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet with the No. 43 overall pick Friday night.

The sure-handed, 6-foot-6 Kmet started 11 games as a junior last season after missing the first two because of a broken collarbone and caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns. Bears tight ends combined for just 395 yards last season.

The Bears did not make a pick in the first round after using it to acquire Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders.

Packers may have found Rodgers' successor

Green Bay has a likely Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The Packers now have perhaps his successor, Utah State's Jordan Love.

After trading up with Miami to go from 30th to 26th, the Packers pulled off probably the most stunning move of the first round.

Love is a developmental project compared to the other three quarterbacks taken earlier - LSU's Joe Burrow, Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon's Justin Herbert. And remember that Rodgers, now 36, sat behind Brett Favre early in his career.

San Francisco also made a deal and moved up six positions by trading with Minnesota, and at No. 25 added a receiver to a group that lost veteran Emmanuel Sanders in free agency. Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk was the pick, while the Vikings moved down to 31st overall.

Seattle boosted its linebacking group with Texas Tech's Jordyn Brooks, followed by Baltimore - which had the NFL's best record in the regular season - taking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen with the 28th pick.

Las Vegas to host 2022 NFL Draft

Las Vegas, which was supposed to host this year's draft before it was converted to a virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic, will host the 2022 draft.

Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Vegas' selection on Thursday night's draft broadcast, saying, "We think you deserve another shot."

Next year's draft will be held in Cleveland.

The 2022 draft will use the same locations that had been planned for this year, including a main stage next to the Caesars Forum Conference Center on the Strip. Caesars Entertainment is the NFL's official casino sponsor.

The NFL had long been opposed to betting on its games but has softened its stance on gambling since a Supreme Court decision allowed all 50 states to legalize betting on sports.

The Raiders will play in Las Vegas starting this season after leaving their longtime home in Oakland.

9th overall pick: Jacksonville selects CJ Henderson

C.J. Henderson doesn't have to go very far for his pro football job.

The Florida cornerback was selected ninth overall by Jacksonville. The Jaguars are seeking a solid coverage guy after trading Jalen Ramsey to the Rams last year.

Henderson has good size at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, and is very quick. He covered the top wideouts the Gators played and usually dominated when healthy - an ankle injury limited him to nine games last season, but he still had 11 passes broken up.

8th overall pick: Cardinals nab Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons

The Arizona Cardinals picked Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick, grabbing maybe the most versatile defensive player available.

Simmons was the Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker last year, but he was used in numerous positions for the Tigers. He lined up at safety, slot corner and edge rusher at times. He has defensive back speed at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds.

7th overall pick: Panthers choose Auburn DT Derrick Brown

The Carolina Panthers selected Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown with the seventh overall selection.

Brown returned for his senior year and was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award (top defensive player) and Outland Trophy (best lineman) last season and considered the clear top interior defensive lineman available.

The selection is the first for a new regime with Carolina as coach Matt Rhule looks to rebuild. The 6-foot-5, 326-pound Brown could be the anchor of the defense going forward.

6th overall pick: Chargers select Oregon QB Justin Herbert

Oregon's Justin Herbert became the third quarterback selected in this year's NFL draft, going sixth overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Herbert had a strong postseason, including a terrific Senior Bowl week that raised his stock. At 6-foot-6, 236 pounds, he has the size the pros like, and he's a good athlete. But he also is not as accurate passing as he'll need to be.

Los Angeles had a burning hole at quarterback after letting go of long-time starter Philip Rivers. Plus, the Chargers plan to move into a new stadium and could use someone to help sell tickets.

A former sixth-stringer for the Ducks, he comes from a football-playing family going back to his grandfathers.

5th overall pick: MIami drafts Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa's health issues didn't turn off the Miami Dolphins.

The Alabama quarterback, whose resume is as strong as any player in this draft were it not for several injuries in his college career, went fifth overall to a team that was accused going into last season of "Tanking for Tua." Tagovailoa comes off major hip surgery, which made his landing spot one of the first round's biggest uncertainties. A completely healthy Tagovailoa might have been the top overall pick.

Blessed with a quick release, excellent mid-range accuracy and nimble feet, Tagovailoa threw 76 touchdown passes in 24 starts the past two seasons. He helped the Crimson Tide to the 2017 national title.

4th overall pick: Giants select Georgia OT Andrew Thomas

The first offensive tackle in a strong group went off the board fourth overall when the New York Giants selected Georgia's Andrew Thomas.

A team leader with the Bulldogs, he can play left or right tackle. Thomas goes 6-foot-5, 315, has strong hands and experience. He was a three-year starter and an All-American last season.

The Giants sought a young tackle to protect last year's first-rounder, quarterback Daniel Jones. They now have him.

3rd overall pick: Lions nab Ohio State All-American Jeff Okudah

The Detroit Lions grabbed the highest-rated cornerback in this year's draft by taking All-American Jeff Okudah of Ohio State.

Okudah was the second Buckeye taken early, third overall and one spot behind edge rusher Chase Young to Washington. The top overall selection, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, previously played at Ohio State.

A smooth and physical presence on the corner, Okudah can handle all sorts of coverages. He became the 11th Ohio State cornerback taken in the first round since 1999. He figures to start in a division featuring opposing receivers Davante Adams and Adam Thielen.

2nd overall pick: Ohio State's Chase Young goes to Redskins

Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young is headed to the Washington Redskins.

Many scouts and NFL personnel people believed Young was the best overall talent in this draft. With the heavy focus on (obsession with?) finding quarterbacks, Young went second overall behind LSU QB Joe Burrow to Cincinnati.

At 6-foot-5, 264 pounds, Young led the nation in sacks with 16 1-2 and forced fumbles with six last season. The All-American won the prestigious Bednarik and Nagurski awards in 2019, leading the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title.

He joins a team that went 3-13 and allowed 435 points.

1st overall pick: Bengals nab LSU QB Joe Burrow

No surprise atop this NFL draft as the Cincinnati Bengals have selected Joe Burrow, quarterback of national champion LSU, as the centerpiece of yet another rebuilding job.

Burrow, the third straight Heisman Trophy winner taken with the first overall selection, joins a team that went 2-14 in 2019 under first-year head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals scored 279 points last season, third worst in the league, and also ranked 30th in total offense.

The previous time Cincinnati grabbed a Heisman quarterback to open the draft, it was Southern California's Carson Palmer in 2003. Palmer led the Bengals to the playoffs twice.

In his spectacular season, Burrow threw for 60 - yes, 60 - touchdowns with only six interceptions. The Tigers beat six top 10 teams on their way to the national title.

ESPN analyst Todd McShay misses NFL Draft due to coronavirus

ESPN analyst Todd McShay said he won't be part of the network's broadcast of the NFL draft because he's recovering from the coronavirus.

McShay said in a statement that he'd be back and thanked the tireless work of health care workers and first-responders, calling them "truly our nation's heroes."

Because of the pandemic, this year's draft will be held remotely and broadcast on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.

The first round is Thursday night and McShay, who has been at ESPN since 2006, was slated to be part of ABC's prime-time network coverage.

Bears GM Ryan Pace ready for virtual draft

The NFL Draft will be a remote affair due to the pandemic. The Bears and every other team will select players via video chat.

That's OK with Bears General Manager Ryan Pace, who says despite some technical glitches at his home office, they'll be ready to take the best player available.

"The focus has just been hey, this is the draft and let's go," Pace said. "We feel very prepared. I think the good teams right now deal with the circumstances, they adapt to the circumstances. If you do it better than the other teams, that is a competitive advantage for us."

Pace says the team will address the status of quarterback Mitch Trubisky's contract, which includes a 5th year option deadline coming next month, as soon as the draft is over.

Bears 2020 Draft Picks:

  • Round 2 - 43rd overall: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
  • Round 2 - 50th overall: Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah
  • Round 5 - 155th overall: Trevis Gipson, DE, Tulsa
  • Round 5 - 163rd overall: Kindle Vildor, CB, Georgia Southern
  • Round 5 - 173rd overall: Darnell Mooney, WR, Tulane
  • Round 7 - 226th overall: Arlington Hambright, OT, Colorado
  • Round 7 - 233rd overall Lachavious Simmons, OG, Tennessee State

Chicago Bears 2019 Draft results:

The Bears made five picks in the 2019 draft, with their highest pick coming in the third round.

Round 3, 73rd overall: David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State

Montgomery appeared in all 16 games for the Bears last season, making eight starts. Montgomery rushed for 889 yards on 242 rushing attempts with six touchdowns.

He also had 25 catches and 185 receiving yards and one touchdown reception.

Round 4, 126th overall: Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia

Ridley appeared in five games for the Bears and had a total of six catches and 69 receiving yards.

Round 6, 205th overall: Duke Shelley, CB, Kansas State

Shelley appeared in a total of nine games for the Bears and did not make a start.

Round 7, 222nd overall: Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic University

Whyte Jr. did not appear in a game for the Bears was assigned to the team's practice squad. He was subsequently signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and appeared in six games for them, with 24 carries and 122 rushing yards.

Round 7, 238th overall: Stephen Denmark, CB, Valdosta State

The Bears waived Denmark before the season started and was signed to the practice squad. He did not appear in a game for the Bears last season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.