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Bears Draft Primer

The Bear facts: Your guide to 2021 NFL Draft

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Here's everything you need to know about the 2021 NFL Draft:

When and where is the draft being held?

The 86th annual NFL Draft will be conducted Thursday through Saturday in downtown Cleveland. The first round will be held Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. (CT). The second and third rounds will take place Friday starting at 6 p.m. (CT). And Rounds 4-7 will be conducted Saturday kicking off at 11 a.m. (CT).

How long do teams have to make their picks?

The time limit is 10 minutes for Round 1, seven minutes for Round 2, five minutes for Rounds 3-6 and four minutes for Round 7.

How many picks do the Bears have?

The Bears have the following eight selections in the draft, with round and overall choice listed:

1-20

2-52

3-83

5-164

6-204

6-208 (from Dolphins)

6-221 (compensatory)

6-228 (compensatory)

The Bears have their own picks in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. They obtained a second sixth-round selection from the Dolphins last summer in exchange for tight end Adam Shaheen, and they were awarded two more sixth-round compensatory choices based on a net loss of free agents.

The Bears traded their fourth-round pick to the Vikings during last year's draft for a fifth-round selection they spent on outside linebacker Trevis Gipson. They dealt their seventh-round choice to the Raiders in exchange for kicker Eddy Piñeiro.

Where will general manager Ryan Pace and his staff be headquartered during the draft?

Last year when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NFL to conduct its first entirely virtual draft, Pace operated from his basement. This year the general manager will return to Halas Hall, where he will be among 10 individuals in the team's draft room who will socially distance and wear masks. Bears scouts and assistant coaches will be located in other areas throughout the building.

How many times have the Bears had the 20th pick in the draft?

The Bears have drafted seven players at No. 20: Running backs Billy Grimes (1949), Eddie Macon (1952) and Bill Brown (1961); tackles Clyde Brock (1962) and Steve Barnett (1963); defensive end Dave Gallagher (1974) and offensive lineman Kyle Long (2013).

Macon was the first Black player in Bears history. Appearing in 23 games over two seasons, he averaged 30.5 yards on 22 kickoff returns and 5.9 yards on 24 punt returns while also rushing for 324 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries and catching 14 passes for 49 yards and 2 TDs.

Long was voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the Bears before being hampered by injuries over the next four years. After one year out of the league, Long recently signed with the Chiefs.

What type of history is there with the 20th pick in the draft?

Three Hall of Famers have been drafted with the 20th pick: Packers offensive tackle Forrest Gregg (1956), Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood (1971) and Broncos safety Steve Atwater (1989).

Interestingly, no quarterback has ever been chosen at No. 20 since the inception of the draft in 1936.

The last 10 players picked at No. 20 have been Jaguars defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson (2020), Broncos tight end Noah Fant (2019), Lions center Frank Ragnow (2018), Broncos tackle Garett Bowles (2017), Jets outside linebacker Darron Lee (2016), Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor (2015), Saints receiver Brandin Cooks (2014), Long (2013), Titans receiver Kendall Wright (2012) and Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn (2011).

Where can I follow the draft?

The draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and can be heard nationwide on Westwood One Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio. If you're a Bears fan, the best place to follow the draft, of course, is on ChicagoBears.com and the team's social media platforms.

Who will announce the Bears' draft picks?

Three individuals are slated to be in Cleveland to announce Bears draft picks: Carlos Nelson, the CEO of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, will reveal the first-round selection Thursday night, former Bears receiver and defensive back Rashied Davis will announce the team's second- or third-round choice Friday night and Bears Fan of the Year Paul Videtch will reveal the team's first pick Saturday.

The remainder of the Bears' selections Saturday will be announced from Halas Hall by director of player personnel Josh Lucas, assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, director of college scouting Mark Sadowski and defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

With the 2021 NFL Draft kicking off Thursday night, take a look at current and former Bears before and after their names were called by the club on draft day.

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