NEWSLETTER
The NFL Draft is in 17 days. But because the Bears don’t have a first-round pick this year (it’s cool, I’d rather have Justin Fields anyway), Chicago’s football team won’t go on the clock until 18 days from today. That’s fine, especially since mock drafts are expanding to include picks beyond Day 1 with each passing day. With that in mind, let’s check out some mock draft buzz surrounding the Bears at the start of this week.
Pro Football Focus
This two-round mock from PFF’s Anthony Treash would have been much more interesting had the Eagles and Saints not made their intriguing trade (especially since Treash once had the Bears maneuvering into the first round with a trade to take Ohio State receiver Chris Olave). Surely, Fields would have appreciated this type of gesture (and we already know Olave wouldn’t mind a reunion in Chicago with his old Buckeye buddy). Instead, Treash’s mock draft has the Bears targeting another receiver with ties to Fields.
With the 39th pick, Treash sends Georgia receiver George Pickens to the Bears. Pickens and Fields never played together, but there is a long-standing connection between the two:
Justin Fields and George Pickens were HS teammates in a 7-on-7 camp run by Cam Newton, as @KunkelToby mentioned in a @WCGridiron fanpost.
If he's available for the #Bears at 39, Pickens has that Fields connection and would give them the bigger deep threat 'X' they need.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) March 25, 2022
Pickens and Fields could have played together at Georgia had the quarterback not left to play at Ohio State. Sure, it’s a bit of a reach if you’re playing the QB-WR connection game. But it doesn’t take much of a stretch to understand where these two could vibe on they field if they get together again.
At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Pickens is built like the type of receiver you can easily envision growing into a WR1. Running the 40-yard dash at 4.47 seconds also helps Pickens’ draft stock. Beyond that, Pickens was a strong contributor at Georgia throughout his playing career when healthy. Pickens was the SEC’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and earned All-Freshman honors in the process. And for what it’s worth, he’s been on our minds for a hot minute:
The Bears Should Keep Their Eyes on Georgia WR George Pickens During Combine Week https://t.co/wdzS7S34C3
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) March 2, 2022
The other selection in this particular mock draft is Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary, a first-team All-SEC cornerback from Auburn. McCreary earned first-team All-American honors from ESPN and the Associated Press last year, solidifying his status as one of this draft class’ top cornerback prospects.
NFL Network
NFL media draft analyst Chad Reuter put together a four-round mock draft at CBS Sports that’ll raise some eyebrows.
Firstly, the Bears selecting Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green would feel like a steal. Green is coming of an All-American season and has first-round grades from a variety of draft-centric evaluators. But Green projecting to be better off at guard than tackle might knock his draft stock. However, that could leave the Bears as a beneficiary. The team is reportedly set to meet with Green, which could come in handy should his stock drop out of the first round.
However, the other two selections might not be as popular among some draft-obsessed Bears fans.
With the 48th selection, Reuter sends Oklahoma defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey to the Bears. Winfrey was a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2021, putting up 11 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks in 12 starts before opting out of the Sooners’ bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Dating back to when Lovie Smith was running a similar defense with four defensive linemen, fans of a certain age know how important the 3-technique defensive lineman can be. Even still … using a top-50 pick on an interior defensive lineman when needs remain elsewhere would likely need to be massaged before going over well with this fan base.
But one of those needs could be addressed with Reuter’s third-round Bears pick, Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields. The Nittany Lions standout checks in at 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds with arms that measured 30-3/4 inches. That size and arm length puts Castro-Fields in the mold of the type of defensive back that Eberflus was coaching while with the Colts. Castro-Fields might be a bit of a project compared to other corners in his class, but the size/length/speed combination will make him a popular prospect. And one worth keeping tabs on so long as he is on the board.
CBS Sports
Ryan Wilson’s mock draft speaks to the meatball in me who wouldn’t mind the Bears addressing their offensive line needs with multiple Day 2 picks.
Taking Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson with the first of their two-round picks would be poetic. Think about it. GM Ryan Poles — a Boston College product who was an offensive lineman during his playing days — chose a B.C. lineman with his first-ever draft pick as a general manager. Johnson stood out at the Senior Bowl and it feels like his stock has been steadily rising ever since.
Wilson double dips on the offensive line with the Bears’ third-round selection, Penn State offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. If Walker’s name rings a bell, it might be because a February mock draft we highlighted in February sent him to Chicago. Walker being a three-year starter with the Nittany Lions is notable. As are these eye-opening clips:
This is aggressive blocking. https://t.co/wPjnc6ra5u
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 21, 2022
rasheed walker owns aidan hutchinson pic.twitter.com/l3ZG7UIBkB
— cristian DRAFT (@Cristianspfc_) February 15, 2022
And with the pick in between the linemen, Wilson puts Baylor defensive back Jalen Pitre in Chicago’s grasp with the 48th overall pick. Whether Pitre is a cornerback or safety might be inconsequential to whatever team picks him, especially with his skills. And if it is the Bears who make the pick, Pitre’s versatility fits with current Bears including Tavon Young, Dane Cruikshank, DeAndre Houston-Carson, and Eddie Jackson.
ESPN
Jordan Reid authors the most extensive mock draft of the bunch. The seven-round behemoth at ESPN projects each of the 262 picks that go off in the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are the six picks the Bears have and what Reid predicts the team will do:
• 39th pick: Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
• 48th pick: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
• 71st pick: Ed Ingram, OL, LSU
• 148th pick: Neil Farrell Jr., DT, LSU
• 150th pick: Decode Durant, CB, South Carolina State
• 186th pick: Erik Ezukanna, WR, Texas Tech
I don’t want to dive too deep on each of these picks. But the Bears double-dipping in the draft at receiver and along the offensive line would go over well. Same can be said for the defensive picks. Bringing players who could bolster the depth on the interior defensive line and in the secondary would be welcome. It would mean both of Chicago’s new coordinators get to work with picks. Everybody wins!
