It Sure Feels Like the Bears Are Targeting Linemen, Eh?

We’re at the sweet spot of the NFL calendar, when mock drafts are an equal blend between (1) simply putting prospects on our radar, (2) educated guesses, and (3) actual, informed speculation. But as we get closer to the NFL Draft (which is just 10 days away!), we’ll start seeing some consensus building. We might not be able to connect precise names to certain teams just yet, but we’ll begin getting a better idea of the various position groups and athletic build profiles teams are planning to target.

And when it comes to the Chicago Bears, it sure seems like we can start pegging them to pick in the trenches.

At least, those are the vibes I’m picking up on the latest run of mock drafts.

Dane Brugler’s 7-Round Behemoth Targets the Trenches

Over at The Athletic, a seven-round monster of a mock draft conducted by Dane Brugler has the Bears taking offensive or defensive linemen with six picks. That includes three of their first four selections. Tell me the Bears have the desire to get it right at the line of scrimmage without saying those precise words.

Here’s what Brugler’s mock looks like:

  • Round 1, Pick 9: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
  • Round 2, Pick 53: Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
  • Round 2, Pick 61: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
  • Round 3, Pick 64: Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
  • Round 4, Pick 103: Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
  • Round 4, Pick 133: Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State
  • Round 5, Pick 136: Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
  • Round 5, Pick 148: Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest
  • Round 7, Pick 218: Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State
  • Round 7, Pick 258: Jose Ramirez, EDGE, Eastern Michigan
  • The Bears have been all over the map when it comes to Carter. So much so that I’m almost ready to conclude he’ll be the Bears’ pick if available at No. 9. If his off-the-field questions were met with suitable answers, then I am willing to allow myself to see it through with Carter. It’s an awfully significant risk GM Ryan Poles would be taking if that ends up being his first-ever first-round pick. But the juice could be worth the squeeze. And I like seeing teams take on challenges. If that’s how the cookie crumbles, then so be it.

    As for the rest of the selections, I love the variety. Addressing the trenches obviously gets a thumbs up from me. It is easy to envision the Bears plugging Bergeron into a starting role at right tackle. And you can see Wypler learning behind Cody Whitehair until the time comes. I’m even digging the skill position offensive adds in Hutchinson and Brown at positions the Bears have depth, but could use a youthful infusion.

    I have questions about drafting the Cleveland Guardians third baseman to play edge, but I’ve always championed José as a hard-hitter.

    This Mel Kiper Jr. Mock Draft Has the Bears Taking LSU Teammates

    Taylor Swift has vocals on a track called “Two is Better Than One” and it came to mind when seeing Kiper send two LSU Tigers to Chicago in the second round of his latest mock draft. Maybe some of that has to do with me remembering an image of Swift wearing an LSU jersey with her lucky No. 13 on it exists. Or maybe not. Who’s to say? But I digress. After all, we’ve got trench talk to discuss.

    Kiper takes Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright with the Bears’ first-round selection (which we discussed when the mock first dropped). But later, Kiper double dips on the defensive line with a pair of LSU products. First, it’s defensive end BJ Ojulari with the 53rd pick. And later, it is Tigers teammate (and defensive tackle) Jaquelin Roy. Or to put it differently, Kiper has the Bears taking three players who live in the trenches with their first three picks.

    At this stage of the game, I doubt that is some coincidence. I’d even go as far as to suggest that the read here is that Kiper is hearing that the Bears are focusing on bolstering the offensive and defensive lines. And in turn, he is signaling with his picks what he is hearing from his sources. Sometimes, reading between the lines is as important as reading the lines.

    Draft Roundup

  • Brad Biggs’ Mock Draft 2.0 at the Tribune has the Bears selecting Paris Johnson Jr., the Ohio State offensive tackle who would make a ton of sense to be Chicago’s choice:
  • “Ryan Poles’ greatest roster need is to stock the defensive front with edge rushers and at least one tackle. The strength of the draft if the Bears don’t find a partner to trade down is at offensive tackle — and Poles can more than justify adding protection for quarterback Justin Fields.”

    No argument here. If the Bears are unable to trade down, then taking the best offensive lineman available is a perfectly cromulent solution. And if it isn’t Johnson, then Peter Skoronski (Northwestern) or Broderick Jones (Georgia) could make sense.

  • Alex Shapiro (NBC Sports Chicago) cautions that his mock draft is “meant to be a fun way to introduce fans to a wide variety of NFL prospects.” In other words, this isn’t a predictive exercise. But it is one who puts some new faces on our radar. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson is a name we’ve grown accustomed to seeing going to the Bears with the ninth pick, just as Shapiro has in his mock. But he also has this:
  • Pick 53: TCU OL Steve Avila
  • Pick 61: USC DL Tuli Tuipulotu
  • Pick 64: UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet
  • Pick 103: South Carolina CB Darius Rush
  • Pick 133: Texas DL Moro Ojomo
  • Pick 136: Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace
  • Pick 148: Purdue CB Cory Trice
  • Pick 218: Cincinnati TE Josh Whyle
  • Pick 258: Illinois RT Alex Palczewski
  • Drafting four players who do work in the trenches is going to get me to sign off on most mock drafts. Charbonnet could be a fun addition to the backfield. And I’ll admit I chuckled at the idea of Poles drafting a guy named Pace. Plus, you can’t go wrong with drafting an Illini player. That’ll make Papa Bear’s Force Ghost smile.

  • Add Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today) to the list of writers whose mock drafts have Paris Johnson Jr. going to the Bears.
  • Meanwhile, Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports) has another stud Big Ten tackle landing in Chicago as he keeps Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski in the Chicagoland area. I’m into this assessment of Skoronski, as it keeps the door open to him as a future left tackle:
  • Skoronski was excellent as Rashawn Slater’s successor at Northwestern and has all the traits to be a successful lineman in the NFL. Known for his versatility (can play guard and has the ideal size to dominate there), Skoronski can start Week 1 and immediately improve a Chicago offensive line that needs to protect Justin Fields better. Eventually Skoronski will be a left tackle, but he may be better starting off at guard.

    Usually, players don’t start inside and move out. Traditionally, it is the other way around. But we saw last year how fluid that situation could be with how Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom were shuffled around. So maybe we should be open to alternatives.

    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.

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