Latest Mocks: More TEs for Bears, Lions Eyeing Tua, Three QBs in the Top-5, More

Feb 19, 2020

We roll on with pre-free agency mocks.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but a mock draft forecasts the Chicago Bears drafting a tight end with one of their second round picks: Luke Easterling (Draft Wire) mocks Washington’s Hunter Bryant to the Bears with the 43rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Bryant looks the part of a “U” tight end in Matt Nagy’s system. He can run a diverse route tree, has good hands, and could provide the type of matchup problem that would give defensive coaches fits. Bryant would likely be a higher selection had it not been for injuries that limited him to nine games as a freshman and five as a sophomore. Playing a full 12-game slate at Washington last year probably helps his draft case, but missing games earlier in his career isn’t something front offices are going to take lightly.

With the Bears’ other second round pick, the Draft Wire mock projects Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison. Chicago could use some help at inside linebacker if they choose not to bring back Nick Kwiatkoski and Danny Trevathan. Heck, even if Kevin Pierre-Louis returned, it would be easy to advocate for a prospect who can provide depth and upside. There is some versatility in Harrison’s game and Ohio State does a heck of a job churning out pro talent on the defensive side of the ball, so let’s keep that in mind when talking about the mock.

Walter Football has the Bears targeting a different tight end in the upcoming draft, sending Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam to Chicago with the 50th overall selection. While I don’t agree with WF’s projection of the Bears dropping Trey Burton (and taking a major hit in dead money in the process), I can envision the team positioning itself to scoop up a possible replacement. Okwuegbunam could be considered the first tight end off the board in WF’s eyes. The Springfield (Ill.) product was a two-time All-SEC second-team tight end and an All-SEC Freshman Team performer. The stats don’t jump off the page (26 catches, 306 yards, 6 TDs), but his freshman year production (29 catches, 11 TDs) stands out.

With the 43rd pick, Walter Football has the Bears taking Florida pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard. No matter what happens with Leonard Floyd this offseason, the Bears are thin at pass-rusher with only he and Khalil Mack under contract. So with that in mind, finding an edge defender with upside who isn’t going to cost upward of $13 million is something the Bears should look in to this spring.

Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN) has some bold predictions in his second mock draft, including one that would bring a shakeup to the NFC North. Kiper has four quarterbacks going in the first round, but the one that stands out most is Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa going to the Lions with the third pick. We’ve discussed rumors surrounding the Lions possibly shopping Stafford (which have been publicly shot down), but Kiper envisions Tagovailoa sitting behind Stafford for a year, then taking over when the cap hit is a bit more manageable. Frankly, the last thing I want to see as a Bears fan is the Lions land a quarterback prospect who — entering the 2019 season — was the consensus projected No. 1 prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. No thanks.

The alternative isn’t that much better for NFC North fans, as the Lions could use their position of power to trade back and collect a bounty of draft picks. It’s not like Detroit is a QB away from changing its fortunes, so moving back with a team that wants Tua, Justin Herbert, or someone else is something that could be in play. Blergh. I hate when division rivals have nice things.

Worth noting: Kiper has Herbert going fifth to the Dolphins, while Jacob Eason goes to New England with the 23rd overall pick. This would leave the likes of Jordan Love and Jake Fromm as prospects who could be plucked in the second round.

Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) has just three quarterbacks going in the first round. But unlike Kiper, Trapasso works some trades into this mix. Trapasso mocks a trade between Washington and Miami, in which the Dolphins move up from No. 5 to No. 2 to take Tagovailoa. I’m not of the mindset to mock a team moving up in the draft to take a quarterback, but I’m not sure how much sense it makes for Washington to move back. A Ron Rivera coached team trading out of a position to draft Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young doesn’t compute. And that it leads to the Lions drafting Young a pick later is annoying. Stop letting Detroit have good pieces to build with in the draft!

Charlie Casserley (NFL Network) has three quarterbacks in the top-6, while Matt Miller (Bleacher Report) hears three could go in the top-5. Previously, Miller has heard five quarterbacks could go in the top-15. If that’s the case, then I feel as if three in the top-5 is a good start toward getting to that point.

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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Latest Mocks: More TEs for Bears, Lions Eyeing Tua, Three QBs in the Top-5, More

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