Top Ten Bears sleeper draft picks

The Bears have had many draft steals over the years. Here's a look at the finest Bears draft sleepers of recent years. All of these players were taken in the third round or later.

Also please give a warm welcome to our newest contributor Danny Sheridan!

10. Warrick Holdman (1999, 4th round)

Remember back in 2001 when the Bears took the league by surprise by finishing 13-3 with a combination of Jim Miller/Shane Matthews at quarterback? It happened only because of a record setting defense, led by what most considered the best set of linebackers in the league. Brian Urlacher and Roosevelt Colvin got the most attention, but Holdman made quite a name for himself that year, finishing second on the team in tackles. Unfortunately, injuries plagued him much of his career, and Holdman left Chicago two years later and has never quite been the same.


9. Alex Brown (2002, 4th round)

At times, this guy plays like a Pro Bowler. Other times, he disappears completely from games. The same can be said for his up and down career at Florida, which is why he fell all the way into the fourth round. The Bears thought they were getting a huge steal when Brown was still on the board, and they’ve been right for the most part. He’s been a Pro Bowl alternate twice, and was a constant fixture on a dominating defense that carried the Bears to the Super Bowl. Getting benched by Mark Anderson before the start of last season turned out to be a big mistake in judgment by the organization, and Brown should have his customary right end spot all to himself come training camp this summer.



8. Mark Anderson (2006, 5th round)

Anderson broke onto the scene as a rookie, leading the team and finishing fifth in the league with 12 sacks despite being a backup. As a starter last season, things didn’t go nearly as well. With a year for offensive tackles to study his moves, Anderson’s production dropped dramtically, all the way down to five sacks. Still, there’s a lot to like about his future. No one would be too surprised if he turns into one of the league’s elite pass rushers in the next couple years. His quickness getting off the ball more than makes up for his smaller stature.



7. Bernard Berrien (2004, 3rd round)

It remains to be seen how much Jerry Angelo will regret not franchising Berrian and letting him go to a division opponent, the Minnesota Vikings. His speed and ability to catch the deep ball made him Rex Grossman’s favorite target. The Bears didn’t pony up the cash because they didn’t consider him a number one wide receiver. Although he’s never gone over the 1000 yard mark in a season, Berrian was always good for at least one highlight reel catch a game, and teams often had to overplay a safety on his side to take away the long bomb. Who will ever forget the one handed grab he made in the snow against New Orleans in the NFC title game?


6. Marty Booker (1999, 3rd round)

Mr. Consistency might be on his last legs, but the Bears certainly hope he’s got a little something left in him after reacquiring him this off-season. Booker had his break out season in 2001, catching 100 balls and scoring eight touchdowns. In the last four years with Miami, he’s gone over 50 catches just once, but he could succeed in a passing game that will emphasize shorter routes if Kyle Orton is quarterback. He’s not going to wow anybody with his speed, but Booker will go across the middle and make the tough catches.



5. Nathan Vasher (2004, 4th round)

A poor combine workout saw Vasher’s stock take a big hit, scaring most teams away. The Bears saw a guy who compensated for a lack of quickness with his playmaking ability, and they’ve been dead on. Quietly, Vasher’s turned into one of the best cover men in the league, despite missing most of last season with an injury. Two years ago, Vasher picked off eight passes, which earned him a Pro Bowl honor, where he added yet another interception. His self proclaimed nickname “the interceptor” seems appropriate enough. Along with Charles Tillman, the Bears may have the top set of cornerbacks in the NFC after Green Bay.


4. Kevin Butler (1985, 4th round)

I’m going old-school with this pick. Butler kicked before I really started watching the Bears, but I still remember my dad yelling at this guy whenever he missed a kick. As a rookie, he started on the 1985 Super Bowl team. In his 11 seasons with the Bears, Butler became the team’s all time leading scorer with 1116 points, easily surpassing the previous mark of 750 held by Walter Payton. For his career, Butler hit nearly 75% of his field goals tries. Rumor has it that back in 85, Butler called his fiancé from training camp and told her to reschedule their wedding because that was the same day of the Super Bowl that year.


3. Roosevelt Colvin (1999, 4th round)

After playing defensive end at Purdue, the Bears immediately turned Colvin into an outside linebacker. Taken just five spots after Holdman, Colvin parlayed his success in Chicago (back to back 10.5 sack seasons) into a big free agent deal with the Patriots in 2003. Two Super Bowls later, Colvin is now looking for a team once New England released him right after this past season. Bill Belichek often said that Colvin was the missing piece for his team’s defense in those Super Bowl years,


2. Olin Kreutz (1998, 3rd round)

Sure, he may be the most overrated, over hyped linemen in the game today, but you can’t argue with six straight Pro Bowl’s. He’s become the unquestioned leader of the Bears, and it’s possible he even could end up in Canton down the road. On a Bears team never known for its offense, Kreutz has been the one stabilizing force the past decade. Having been with Chicago two years longer than any other current player, Kreutz makes up for what he lacks physically with a mean streak that often leaves opponents whining to anyone who’ll listen. Many times, he’s been accused of being a dirty player, something Kreutz probably relishes.


1. Lance Briggs (2002, 3rd round)

Blame the fact that he played on the West Coast for an Arizona Wildcat team that won three games his senior year as the reason Briggs wasn’t noticed more. Outside of Urlacher, and maybe three or four others, Briggs has been as productive as anybody at his position the last five years. His stats won’t blow you away, mainly because of the Cover-2 defense the Bears run, but he would have been missed tremendously if Angelo let him walk this past February. People have said for a couple years that he may be even more important to the team than Urlacher. Whether it’s chasing down a running back to the sideline, or covering a tight end down the field, Briggs can do it all.