New weapons
Montgomery, Ridley give Nagy more options
For Cortez Hankton, it was a moment in late-September that fully validated Riley Ridley’s competitive edge. Georgia was protecting a fourth-quarter lead on the road at Missouri. Less than five minutes remained. And the Bulldogs were backed into thirdand-11 at the Tigers’ 42.
“Really, it was, ‘Do we take a shot here to end the game? Or do we play it safe?’ ” the Georgia receivers coach said Saturday afternoon. “And I just remember talking to our offensive staff and I said, ‘Look, give him a chance and he’s going to make a play.’” Request granted. Green light. Ridley launched into his stopand-go route. Double move.
Quarterback Jacob Fromm fired up the right sideline. Ridley leaped over the top of cornerback DeMarkus Acy, plucked the ball out of the air and somehow managed to get the toes of both his feet down in bounds. Twentyseven yard gain. First down.
Four plays later, Georgia added an insurance score to seal its 43-29 victory.
“You’re talking clutch. Big. That was a moment right there,” Hankton said. “You knew that guy was going to be a dude for us last year. … In a moment like that you need your playmakers to make plays. And he made a play.”
In his final season at Georgia, Ridley had several such flashes, showcasing a combination of burst, physicality and competitive tenacity that made him attractive to the Bears. Now he is coming to Chicago as one of the new, fun toys for Bears coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitch Trubisky to play with.
A day after drafting running back David Montgomery in Round 3, the Bears picked Ridley with pick No. 126 in the fourth round, beginning a day on which they also added Kansas State cornerback Duke Shelley in Round 6 plus Florida Atlantic running back Kerrith Whyte and Valdosta State cornerback Stephen Denmark in the seventh round.
Naturally, general manager Ryan Pace expressed satisfaction in his weekend draft haul. With Ridley specifically, he sees a talented receiver with good size, reliable hands and terrific routerunning ability.
Ridley’s confidence is a nice plus, too, evident during a predraft visit to Halas Hall when he spoke about his ability to make contested catches.
Said Pace: “One of his quotes was, ‘I’m not a 50-50 guy. I win all of them.’ That’s kind of his mindset.”
To be clear, this draft was very different for Pace and the Bears. Unlike Pace’s best draft to date — the 2017 bonanza that landed Trubisky, Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen — this year’s came with much greater restrictions.
Trubisky, of course, was the No. 2 pick two years ago. Jackson and Cohen were drafted 19 minutes apart early in the fourth round that weekend.
This year? The Bears made their first pick at No. 73 and selected only two players in the top 200. From there, they went to work to see just how accomplished their talent evaluation staff truly is in identifying diamonds in the rough.
Who knows? Perhaps Shelley emerges as a future starter, using his quickness and ball skills to earn a significant role as a slot cornerback on an already fierce defense. But with the Bears roster stocked the way it is, his greatest value may be on special teams. It also would not be a shock if Whyte and Denmark — both seventhround dice rolls — became little more than practice-squad pieces for the foreseeable future.
That’s why this five-man Bears draft class will be appropriately greeted throughout Chicago with a casual nod or even a shrug but no fist pumps or howls of celebration.
Pace still has plenty of roster molding to do, a process that intensified Saturday night as the Bears charged into the undrafted free-agent flea market. The Bears will begin organized team activities in a few weeks with serious questions about their kicker competition and an unsettling lack of depth at positions such as tight end and safety.
Still, with Montgomery and Ridley coming to energize the offense, Nagy expressed his excitement for getting back on the field soon.
The head coach’s praise for Montgomery was heartfelt Saturday night. Nagy called his new running back “the whole package.” And after lauding Montgomery’s reliable hands, ability to make defenders miss and toughness, Nagy spent twice as much time highlighting the genuineness of his work ethic and ambition.
“He’s about as real a person as there is,” Nagy said. “Very authentic, very passionate.”
Ridley, meanwhile, didn’t put up huge numbers at Georgia, totaling 43 catches, 559 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season. But he has shown impressive ability to create separation as a route runner.
Said Hankton: “He just has a suddenness about himself that’s really special.”
Added Pace: “He has a savviness to him to know how to set guys up. For as big as he is, he knows how to drop his weight and quickly get out of break points. When you’re watching him, you consistently see him separating from man coverage. … That’s one of the first things that jumps out is just how defined his routes are, how crisp his routes are.”
Ridley will join former Georgia standouts Leonard Floyd, Roquan Smith and Javon Wims with the Bears. The young receiver made it clear Saturday that he enjoyed his pre-draft visit to Halas Hall.
“It felt like home,” he said. “And for them to select me today is amazing.”
Now comes the next step, with the Bears aiming to take their new offensive pieces to help fuel a potential-filled 2019. No. 238 (seventh round)
The draft ended without the Bears selecting a kicker, as Pace instead went with his second cornerback of Day 3.
Denmark recorded 55 tackles, including eight for a loss, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble in 2018 for Division II national champion Valdosta State. He played wide receiver in his first two seasons at Valdosta State before switching to cornerback.
Why the Bears drafted him: At 6-3, 220 pounds, he’s a big, athletic cornerback who ran 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, according to NFL.com.
Why he wasn’t drafted sooner: With only a year under his belt at cornerback, he is a major project who will need time to develop his defensive skills and make the transition from Division II.
You should know: He had 29 catches for 337 yards and three touchdowns over his freshman and sophomore seasons at wide receiver.
— Rich Campbell, Colleen Kane, Dan Wiederer