The 2022 NFL draft has come and gone for the Chicago Bears and while they will continue to add talent via undrafted free agents and other players who are available, their draft class is set.
All in all, general manager Ryan Poles made 11 picks, focusing particularly on the secondary and offensive line to hopefully improve the team heading into the 2022 season.
While it’s exciting to look at and react to the players the Bears drafted, how do they impact the rest of the roster? Who on the team is in a better position now that the draft is over and who isn’t?
Here is our list of winners and losers following the 2022 NFL draft.
Winner: S Eddie Jackson
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The Bears bolstered their secondary in a big way last Friday evening when they selected cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round with the 39th and 48th overall picks, respectively. That could mean good things for one of the notable defensive holdovers from the Ryan Pace era in safety Eddie Jackson.
After a promising start to his career, Jackson has fallen back to earth the last few seasons, but has also dealt with a revolving door at the opposite safety position since Adrian Amos left in free agency following the 2018 season. While players like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Tashaun Gipson were decent, they didn’t compliment Jackson’s game. With Brisker playing opposite of him, Jackson should see a bounce back season.
It gets even better when you include Gordon to shore up the cornerback position, which was a major weakness in 2021. Jackson will hopefully be able to play a little more free and re-discover some of the magic he had earlier in his career.
Loser: S Eddie Jackson
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
While Jackson can certainly be seen as a winner, he also qualifies as a loser after this draft, as well. The Bears are giving him a fresh start after he struggled to live up to his lucrative contract, mainly…