NEWSLETTER
The Super Bowl is over! And it’s time to finally, rightfully, turn our attention to the Chicago Bears offseason.
I know you’ve seen a bazillion mock drafts since Thanksgiving at every media outlet that covers football, but there’s a reason why I decided to fire up the PFF Mock Draft Simulator and give it a whirl today in this Bears 7-Round Mock Draft.
First, it’s fun. I think that these can be fun exercises if you’re treating them with a degree of realisticness. I have a great example in the first version of my Chicago Bears seven-round mock draft, but I’ll talk about that later.
Second, I want to be able to look back on these and see how fluid the pre-draft process is when the dust is settled in Detroit in April.
For example, when I did this before the Senior Bowl — and kept it to myself — I had the Bears addressing the need for a center by taking Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson outside the first round. We know today that’s highly unlikely after his Senior Bowl performance was so damn good that he’s skyrocketed to No. 20 on Dane Brugler’s latest Big Board.
So, it was back to the drawing board. Over the next 70+ days, we’re going to see other names rise and fall, and we’re going to see needs addressed in free agency for the Bears and the rest of the league. At this point, I think today — in the wake of the Super Bowl and the Senior Bowl — is a good starting point for this exercise. I’ll likely do this again post Scouting Combine, post-free agency, and once more in the week leading up to the NFL Draft in late April.
If in between those dates the Bears do something significant, like trade Justin Fields, I’ll do one then too.
Before we get into the details of my full seven-round mock, here’s a peek at how the first round shook out for the entire league in this version and some thoughts on it. After that, I’ll go into detail on every Bears trade and selection.
2024 Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: 1.0 — Round 1 Results
Complete First Round Thoughts …
I have the Bears selecting Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall. If you paid attention to my coverage from the Super Bowl last week, there shouldn’t be a surprise there.
I do not have the Bears taking a wide receiver at No. 9, because the simulator has the Patriots taking Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3, Arizona taking Rome Odunze at No. 4, and Atlanta taking Malik Nabers at No. 8. With the big three wide receivers off the board, I went with Notre Dame’s Joe Alt at No. 9, giving Caleb Williams my No. 1 tackle in this class.
But I really believe the Bears need a wide receiver to complement D.J. Moore next season. So I got creative and worked out a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers that would send Justin Fields to Pittsburgh in exchange for the No. 20 pick in the first round, which I used to select LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr.
Here’s what that full trade looks like:
Bears Receive
Steelers Receive
This is where the factor of realism comes into play. I think the Steelers wouldn’t trade No. 20 for Justin Fields alone. So, I added Chicago’s 2025 second-round pick to the deal. Keep in mind, this is the Bears ‘25 second-rounder, not the Panthers, which will be the better of the two selections if all things go according to plan for the Bears next season.
For adding the second-rounder, the Steelers parted ways with No. 120 in this year’s draft, a selection Pittsburgh received from the Los Angeles Rams in the Kevin Dotson trade in August.
So, the Bears end the first round with Caleb Williams, Joe Alt, and Brian Thomas Jr., while Justin Fields heads to Pittsburgh. But this complete seven-round still has five more selections (and a trade) for the Bears, so stick around.
2024 Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: 1.0
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Round 3, Pick 75: DI Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
I think the Bears will sign another edge rusher in free agency to complement Montez Sweat. So, this version of the mock draft is based on that assumption. That’s why we’ll do this again after free agency, when we have a more refined list of needs for Ryan Poles and company after free agency wraps.
With that in mind, and the Bears landing a quarterback, tackle, and wide receiver with their first three picks in the draft, I decided to address the interior defensive line with Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus here.
Dorlus is a six-foot-three, 230-pound interior defender who ranks No. 75 on PFF’s Big Board and No. 83 on Dan Brugler’s Big Board at The Athletic.
Dorlus can make his presence felt on the defensive line with his quick first step and long, strong arms. He showed improved handwork in 2023 but is more of an all-out effort player right now. He needs to continue improving his pad level and building a move-to-move plan to be more efficient once engaged.
Round 4, Pick 111: C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
With the first of three fourth-rounders (one via the Justin Fields trade) I have the Bears landing a center. You probably noticed that I passed on Jackson Powers-Johnson despite him being on the board at No. 20 when I selected Brian Johnson Jr., but I made that trade with the intention to select Johnson, and he was still there, so I stuck with the plan.
Powers-Johnson went to Tampa Bay six picks later, but I still have the Bears landing a center in this draft class, but this time it’s Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran.
Van Pran is the No. 3 center according to PFF and No. 4 according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Van Pran was an important member of Georgia’s consecutive national championship teams. He excelled in the run game with his strength and physicality. He has average length and movement skills, but he’s smart and processes well in the pass game. He makes up for some length and movement skills with his smarts.
Round 4, Pick 120 (via PIT): TE Cade Stover, Ohio State
There’s been some discussion regarding whether the Bears should take Brock Bowers if he’s there at No. 9. And while I firmly believe that they should if that’s the way things unfolded in April, the chances of Bowers getting to nine are slim to none.
In this mock the Chargers take Bowers at No. 5, giving Justin Herbert a hell of a weapon in year one of the Harbaugh era in LA. Still, I think that the Bears should add a tight end to pair with Cole Kmet.
I wrote recently that the contrarian argument is that the Bears have Cole Kmet, whom they signed to a four-year, $50 million extension last summer, so why would the Bears draft another tight end when they just extended their “starting tight end.” The first issue with that logic is that there can only be one “starting” tight end in the Bears’ offense.
Shane Waldron’s offense operated predominantly in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in 2023. That grouping accounted for 63.5 percent of their offensive snaps, and that’s normal for the modern-day NFL offense. Waldron’s offense’s use of 11 personnel ranked 17th in the league last season, so that 63.5 percent number isn’t as large as you would think.
Waldron’s offense ran 31.6 percent of his offensive snaps in either 12 or 13 personnel. 12 personnel features 1 RB, 2 TE, and 2 WR. 13 personnel features 1 RB, 3 TE, and 1 WR. So, Waldron was lining up two or more tight ends 31.6 percent of the time last season. The idea that the Bears can’t add another “starting” tight end is an archaic belief.
Stover is the No. 3 tight end in the class according to PFF and No. 4 on The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s Big Board.
Stover needs work as a blocker, but he’s a vertical threat that could feast in an offense that operates under center — something that Waldron does and Getsy didn’t — and relies on play-action for their deep chunk plays in the passing game.
Stover has an excellent catch radius and body control to make catches in traffic outside his frame. He registered the 11th most contested catches, 23rd-most deep catches, and 21st-most deep yards among all tight ends with more than 25 targets in 2023.
Round 4, Pick 123 (via PHI): EDGE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
I think the Bears will sign a new edge rusher to complement Montez Sweat during free agency. However, I also want to work on acquiring more depth in that position during the draft, and I believe Gabriel Murphy from UCLA could be a good fit.
Murphy shows promise as a potential third-down pass rusher in the NFL. His athletic ability and flexibility are clear when you watch him play, traits that helped him succeed in college and be effective in defensive line stunts.
Nevertheless, there’s room for improvement in his hand technique. Murphy currently lacks precision and timing in his initial hand movements, hindering his ability to effectively disengage from blockers. Despite his agility and potential, he needs to improve his handwork and add more diverse pass-rushing moves.
TRADE:
Bears Receive
Dolphins Receive
I have the Bears moving back one round here and picking up an additional 2025 fifth-rounder from the Dolphins in the process. After this trade (and the Fields trade) the Bears have eight selections in next year’s draft.
*Acquired in the Chase Claypool trade.
Round 6, Pick 186 (via MIA): RB Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
I struggled here, going back and forth between Gore and Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson.
I think that Eddie Jackson is done in Chicago (and there’s been some recent signs to confirm that from Jackson), so Chicago will need a free safety this offseason. Simpson took 299 deep snaps for Auburn last season and owned an 87.4 coverage grade at PFF.
But I think that in today’s running back market it’s important to take a running back every year. Khalil Herbert has one year of control left. I am a big fan of Roschon Johnson. But if Gore is here, he’s a high-upside running back worth taking a swing at.
Gore ran for 1,119 yards on 229 carries (4.9 YPA) and scored 10 touchdowns as a junior at Southern Miss in 2023 and was the MVP of the East-West Shrine Bowl.
At 5-8 and 195 pounds, Gore is considered a small running back. But the NFL seems to be moving toward using smaller and shiftier running backs in multi-back systems. Gore’s elusiveness and big-play ability is off the charts.
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