NEWSLETTER
The NFL Draft is 80 days away. And even though the Bears don’t have a first-round pick this summer, seeing how things could shake out early on will be beneficial for a greater understanding of what could be available when Chicago does finally go on the clock.
Let’s explore!
Bears Needs
Before diving into mock drafts, it is important to know what the team’s needs are heading into the offseason.
Both CBS Sports and NFL.com list offensive line, wide receiver, and cornerback at the top of the Bears wish list. We’ve been harping on bolstering the offensive line for years. And Chicago’s secondary concerns have been a primary issue since the team cut Kyle Fuller last offseason.
In addition to the obvious, CBS also underscores the team’s needs at defensive tackle. A change to a four-man front means the Bears need more beef for the interior line. The good news is that Chicago ran enough snaps with four linemen to have an idea of what it would look like. But the bad news is that we could still see waves of change at the position due to a different stylistic scheme with Eberflus and Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams running the show.
ESPN Sends Receiver Help Justin Fields’ Way
Every time I mention Darnell Mooney being the only Bears receiver under contract going into 2022, I imagine his head on Will Smith’s body in that iconic .gif of the Fresh Prince standing alone in an empty living room. But in Jordan Reid’s newest two-round mock draft prediction, help is coming.
Purdue wide receiver David Bell is the pick for the Bears at No. 39 — and an interesting one, to boot. Here’s what Reid had to say about the pick:
Bell, who had 93 catches for 1,286 yards last season, is a smooth route runner with consistent hands. He proved over the past two seasons that he can be counted upon as a go-to option in the passing game. Bell doesn’t have outstanding speed, but he executes the details on his route stems and has a knack for finishing catches at the catch point.
Because Chicago doesn’t have a first-round pick, its new GM needs to nail this one out of the gate. No pressure, new guy! As for Bell, he checks a bunch of boxes one would want from a receiver prospect. There is consistent production, including a 93-catch, 1,286-yard season in 2021. Descriptions highlighting route-running, execution, and ability to be a go-to option piques my interest, too.
Seriously, sign me up for all of this:
Get David Bell on #DaBears in 2022, please. pic.twitter.com/i9xypPamSI
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 6, 2021
Finding Offensive Line Assistance on Day 2
Dalton Miller (Pro Football News) has a three-round mock rolling, which has our attention. There aren’t too many worthwhile mocks that are going three rounds deep at this time of the pre-draft process. And with the Bears having picks in the second and third round, we’ll tend to gravitate to these more often as we gear up our draft coverage.
Like Reid, Miller envisions the Bears drafting Purdue’s David Bell with the 39th pick. No need to re-hash anything that was said above. However, this feels like a good place to point out that there are 11 receivers sent to teams in the second and third rounds of Miller’s mock draft. In other words, this feels like it would be a great place for the Bears to move back in the round, accumulate some draft capital, and build out the depth. But only if there isn’t a home run available at pick No. 39.
As for the Bears’ other Day 2 pick in this mock draft, Miller sends Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas to Chicago with the 71st overall selection. To write about this team needing offensive line help feels like an understatement. At a minimum, this group needs new bodies and a new vision. Drafting Lucas, the 6-foot-7-inch and 319-pounder, could help.
As a junior in 2020, Lucas earned All-Pac-12 first-team honors from the AP. Pro Football Focus name-checked Lucas as one of the Senior Bowl risers last week. The Draft Network’s Draw Harris projects right tackle being an ideal role for a player who could play in any scheme. After watching the previous regime try to make square pegs fit into round holes from a schematic perspective, bringing in flexible players would be a nice move.
PFF Envisions a First Round With No QBs
I’ll go out on a limb and predict that at least one quarterback will go in the first round. But because the folks at Pro Football Focus don’t see a first-round caliber QB in this group, the site took it to another level by mocking up a draft with no first-round quarterbacks. Seriously.
A first-round with no quarterbacks would be bad news for the Bears, who don’t need one right now. Teams avoiding QBs altogether would mean that players at skill positions would be coming off the board at a rapid pace. And from a blue-and-orange-tinted point of view, that would be problematic. For example, this PFF mock would take eight offensive linemen, seven receivers, and five cornerbacks off the board before the second round kicks off. That would be a total bummer for a Bears team that has needs at those positions.
For what it’s worth, this CBS Sports mock draft has three quarterbacks going in Round 1. In other words, don’t lose sleep just yet. QB-hungry teams will make moves to get a prospect GMs fall in love with. And, in turn, quality prospects who play other positions will fall. Hopefully, some good ones will fall to the Bears.
