Getty The Bears selected safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48 overall.
Olin Kreutz is still very passionate about the Chicago Bears.
A former All-Pro center for the team, Kreutz spent 13 seasons (1998-2010) with the Bears, starting 183 games and making six consecutive Pro Bowls in that span.
While doing draft day analysis for CHGO Sports with colleagues Adam Hoge and Will DeWitt, Kreutz, who naturally has a fond preference for the offensive line, took it a little hard when his former team chose to draft defensive backs with its first two picks in the second round.
The Bears surrendered an NFL-high 58 sacks last season, and many felt they could address their offensive line needs with a pick on Day 2. Instead, new general manager Ryan Poles took Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon with his first selection at No. 39 and followed by choosing ex-Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker. After seeing his former team chose back-to-back DBs, Kreutz did this:
⚠️OLIN WALKS OFF THE SET😱😳
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Kreutz Wasn’t Upset for Long
It didn’t take Kreutz long to return to the CHGO set, and it’s clear he was never hopping mad over the pick — just expressing disappointment the Bears didn’t address the O-line.
“I just hate to say this, but I feel like — for a guy that’s been around Bears football for a long time — here we go again. We gotta fix the offense, we gotta fix the offensive line — we’ll draft defense,” Kreutz said after the team made its first selection in Gordon.
“I get a little weary with picks like that,” Kreutz added.
When Chicago followed the Gordon pick by adding a second defensive back, Kreutz was clearly not pleased with the choice. His reaction shouldn’t be viewed as a commentary on Brisker, who is a fine young defensive back, but rather disappointment that his former team neglected to address their lack of depth on the line again.
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Poles Thrilled With Day 2 of Draft, Selection of Brisker
While Kreutz may not have loved the addition of a safety at No. 48, the Bears GM seemed thrilled with how his board fell, and he had high praise for Brisker.
“I think he’s going to make our secondary better as well,” Poles said about Brisker on April 29. “The cool thing about him, one of those attributes you look for in players is, ‘Can you make big plays in big moments?’ And he showed that over and over in his career, so we’re excited about him.”
Brisker played in 34 games for the Nittany Lions, starting 21. Over his career at Penn State, he amassed 152 tackles (seven for loss), five interceptions and 19 pass breakups. Brisker allowed a measly 46.8 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks in 2021, giving up one TD in coverage all year while earning an impressive 89.5 coverage grade from PFF.
“I was looking through our scout stuff and one of the guys used the term ‘Super Bowl-over-accolade’ type,” Poles added. “He’s all about team. He wants to win and he wants to be on a championship-caliber team, which again, that’s what we’re doing.”
Poles may be taking heat for addressing the secondary with his top two picks, but based on the numbers the unit allowed last season, an upgrade was necessary:
The #Bears pass defense in 2021 allowed:
-The 5th most passing TDs last season with 31 TDs.
-Allowed 7.6 yards per reception
-65.8% completion rate.
-The 4th least INTs with 8.
-A league worst in QB passer rating with a 103.3
The Bears also added Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. with their 71st overall pick in Round 3, and they have three more selections on the third and final day of the draft, so snagging an O-lineman or two is still a possibility.
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Bears Legend Walks Off Set After Hearing Team’s Draft Pick