Recent Mock Drafts: Bears Focusing on Secondary and Pass-Catchers Early? Eason as a QB Target?

The NFL Draft is still slated to run from April 23 to 25, albeit as a unique TV experience. Let’s check out some of the latest mock drafts as they relate to the Bears …

  • Mock drafts at this time are never totally accurate in nailing the exact prospect with the right team. But they provide perspective as to which players fit what teams and what position groups front offices could be targeting. With that in mind, this dueling mock from Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic offers up a wave of names and position groups that could interest the Bears.
  • This exercise provides a fun way to get to know some of the prospects who make sense for this class. Among the possible players of interest: OSU OT Austin Jackson, Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland, Southern Illinois S Jeremy Chinn, Alabama CB Trevon Diggs, Cincinnati TE Josiah Deguara, Florida International QB James Morgan, Rhode Island WR Isaiah Coulter, Clemson S Tanner Muse, UCF CB Nevelle Clarke, LSU TE Stephen Sullivan, Ohio State WR Austin Mack, Michigan OL Jon Runyan, Michigan State DL Raequan Williams, Southern Miss WR Quez Watkins.
  • Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune extends his mock draft to go 50 picks to cover the Bears’ two second-round selections. Check it out:
  • Biggs mocks Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to go to the Bears with their first pick in the second round, while USC receiver Michael Pittman Jr. comes off the board with pick No. 50. Each pick makes a lot of sense, given the needs for impact at the positions (starting job up for grabs across from Kyle Fuller, and also behind Allen Robinson), and also the impressive depth in the draft. Getting a quality receiver and a quality guy for the secondary (CB or S) is going to be very doable.
  • Todd McShay (ESPN) shares a two-round mock, and much like the Biggs draft, McShay has the Bears addressing needs at cornerback and receiver. Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette is McShay’s Bears pick at No. 43. While more polished than Igbinoghene, Arnette isn’t a burner on the outside. With the 50th pick, McShay has Chicago selecting Jalen Reagor, who is more known for his big-time speed and play-making ability.
  • Chad Reuter’s four-round mock draft features six first-round trades. None of them are by the Bears to slide into Round 1, but the movement ahead of them leaves the board pretty open when the second round opens. As a result, the Bears end up with LSU safety Grant Delpit (43rd overall) and Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins (50th overall) coming their way. Sensing a theme here with members of the secondary and pass-catchers in the second round …
  • Joe Marino (The Draft Network) also has the Bears addressing secondary needs in his mock draft. Marino sends Alabama CB Trevon Diggs (43rd) and Lenoir-Rhyne S Kyle Dugger to Chicago, locking in potential long-term secondary solutions who have often been projected to go in the second round.
  • Finally, a quarterback! Ryan Wilson’s three-round mock at CBS Sports has the Bears taking Washington’s Jacob Eason with the 43rd pick. For a frame of reference, Eason is CBS Sports’ No. 5 QB prospect and 39th overall, while he’s number six to Todd McShay, and 60th overall. That’s about the range you’ll see for Eason, who is in the “question mark” tier behind the increasingly consensus top four QBs (Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert), each of whom is expected to go in the first round. (We prefer Jalen Hurts in that tier, for what it’s worth.) We always see a surge in top QB prospects up the boards as the draft approaches, so it remains to be seen just how many QBs will actually be plucked before pick 43.
  • And with the 50th pick, Wilson sends Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson to the Bears. Johnson has first-round potential, but it feels as if picks between Nos. 25 and 50 can be inter changeable in certain spots.
  • Stephen Letizia (The Chicago Audible) shares a post-free agency mock draft is a deeper dive on the creative side. It features multiple trades that help the Bears go from seven picks to eight. That’s not a huge move, but significant enough to be noteworthy. Among the prospects coming the Bears way: Michigan OL Cesar Ruiz (50th),  Mississippi State CB Cam Dantzler (65th), Georgia QB Jake Fromm (93rd), LSU OL Saahdiq Charles (107th), Cincinnati TE Josiah Deguara (147th), Boise State WR John Hightowr (164th), Michigan S/LB hybrid Khaleke Hudson (197th), and Memphis LB Bryce Huff (227th).
  • Worth noting that new OL Coach Juan Castillo saw Ruiz at Michigan when he was a consultant for Jim Harbaugh.
  • Brett Taylor contributed to this post.

    written by

    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.

    more bears news

    Rome Odunze Missed Saturday’s Bears Rookie Minicamp Practice

    I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...

    A New Tight End, Day 2 Camp Pics and Vids, Edge Market Developing, and Other Bears Bullets

    It's Mother's Day today. And while my mother passed away in 2017, I try to use this day to remember and honor her memory. Do something nice for the moms in your life today. You only get one. Chicago Bears...

    Caleb to Rome, First Day Notes, Big LSU Bet Is Off, and Other Bears Bullets

    I'm off to Springfield to play the role of Uncle Lu this weekend, so we'll have an abridged version of Bears Bullets today. Caleb Williams survived his first practice as Chicago Bears QB1. And all was right with the football...

    Tory Taylor is the First Bears Draft Pick to Sign Their Rookie Deal

    There will be no punter hold out this summer. Tory Taylor is officially locked in: https://twitter.com/chicagobears/status/1789283410294321438?s=46&t=9_XcB6r0ywNyv4WuAOFkLA The Chicago Bears announced Tory Taylor’s signing on Saturday morning. And in doing so, made him the first of the team’s five 2024 NFL...

    REPORT: Bo Nix Will Be the First of the 2024 NFL Draft First-Round QBs to Sign

    Caleb Williams might've gone first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it looks like Bo Nix will be the the first of the first-round quarterbacks to sign their NFL contract. Nix, who the Denver Broncos selected with the 12th...

    WATCH: Bears Rookie Camp Highlights With Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Tory Taylor

    It's never too early to share Chicago Bears highlights. And while I realize it is probably a stretch to call these "highlights" but I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to share Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze clips when...

    Around the NFL: Jared Goff Extension High Priority for the Lions, Rookie Camps, WRs on the Move, More

    The Lions are making an extension for quarterback Jared Goff a "high priority." The Cardinals, Texans, and Giants added wide receivers this week. More in today's NFL Notes. Lions Making Jared Goff Extension a "High Priority" Two weeks after securing...

    I Love This Caleb Williams Quote About Leadership

    The first Caleb Williams minicamp press conference is in the books, and without a glitch. Whew! Limiting the drama this season is atop of my Chicago Bears 2024 wishlist. Caleb Williams had some interesting things to say in his first...

    EA Sports College Football 25 Cover Leaked

    I've written about this a few times since EA Sports first announced the return of the long-awaited College Football Video game. And while part of me is keeping my hopes tempered until that game is actually downloaded onto my XBOX...

    Don’t Freak Out, But Bears Rookie Kiran Amegadjie Will Miss Offseason Practices

    I am going to preface this by saying there isn't a reason to freak out over news that Kiran Amegadjie will miss the Chicago Bears upcoming rookie minicamp practices. And there is definitely no reason to be alarmed about a...

    Latest News

    Wake Up and Watch the Cubs Make Their Mothers Proud

    There is something about seeing Cubs players homer with pink bats that makes me smile extra wide. I suppose it's PROBABLY at least a little because this is one of my favorite Cubs memories: https://twitter.com/ChiSportsDay/status/1788291377333170611 Javy Báez, with the pink...

    Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for Western Conference Semifinals Game 5 – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

    The Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves take the court in Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The Nuggets are favored by 4.5 points in the contest, which airs on TNT at 10:30 PM ET. The...

    Knicks vs. Pacers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

    The New York Knicks are slight 2-point favorites heading into Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, beginning at 8:00 PM ET on TNT. The series is...

    Mavericks vs. Thunder Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: Western Conference Semifinals Game 4 – Monday, May 13, 2024

    The Dallas Mavericks are slight 1.5-point favorites heading into Game 4 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at American Airlines Center on Monday, starting at 9:30 PM ET on TNT. The Mavericks hold...

    NHL Playoffs Anytime Goalscorer Bets and Odds Today – May 13

    Anytime goal-scorer odds are listed in this article, with two Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round games on the NHL calendar Monday.Watch the NHL on Fubo!Today's Top Anytime Goal OddsNathan MacKinnon (Avalanche) -115 to scoreAvalanche vs. StarsGame Time: 12:00 AM ET...

    Oilers vs. Canucks NHL Playoffs Second Round Game 4 Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

    The Edmonton Oilers welcome the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and are -218 favorites on the moneyline, with the visiting team at +180.Watch the NHL on Fubo!Oilers vs. Canucks Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Oilers (-218)Underdog: Canucks (+180)Total: 6.5Best Oilers vs. Canucks Promo...

    How to Watch Athletics Games: Full 2024 Schedule, Live Stream and More

    It's a bittersweet season for the Oakland Athletics. As they prepare to begin their move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season, the A's are looking to make their final year at the Coliseum one to remember. With a little...

    Angels vs. Cardinals: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Monday at 9:38 PM ET, Taylor Ward and the Los Angeles Angels (15-26) take on Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals (16-24) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

    Mariners vs. Royals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Seattle Mariners (22-19), led by Josh Rojas, host Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals (25-17) on Monday at 9:40 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the Seattle-Kansas City matchup in the article below.When is Mariners...

    How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Reds: Live Stream or on TV

    Jordan Montgomery will take the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks (19-22) when they host starter Graham Ashcraft and the Cincinnati Reds (17-23) in a series opener on Monday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Keep reading to find out all...

    more bears news