Did a few Bears mock drafts the past few weeks with no trades.
Bears need every position. Main draft targets are positions we can get good value at.
Draft Targets: WR, OT, IOL, DT, LB, CB, S
I'm going to mix it up a little this year and breakdown pick by pick who I'm considering in what order instead of posting a traditional mock draft results. Bears have no 1st round pick. They have two 2nd's, and a 3rd. Two 5th's and a 6th.
PICK 39:
WR George Pickens, Georgia, 6'3, 200 lbs
There's a lot to like about Pickens. There's even more to like if he falls to pick 48 for Chicago. Pickens would replace the void left by Allen Robinson in 2020, and the ghost of Allen Robinson in 2021. Pickens really is a first round talent. The ACL injury bumped him into the 2nd. He returned for the college football playoffs and looked fine. Pickens has a smiliar profile to AJ Brown, albeit 20 lbs less muscle.
WR Skyy Moore, Western Michigan, 5'10, 190 lbs
Skyy Moore is the top WR option on the board for me in the early 2nd. About 20% of the time he manages to fall to the Bears at 39. Probably another 20% he goes to the Jets at pick 38. If he falls, I think he has to be the Bears pick. I'd take him over George Pickens because there is more certainty with Moore's game. I'm not really convinced Justin Fields will be capable of actually getting the ball to a Pickens type alpha WR. Pickens is the bigger bodied guy, but Moore is really great at setting up defenders and getting open. I feel like Moore is a better version of Darnell Mooney.
DT Travis Jones, Connecticut, 6'4, 325 lbs
Jones is a guy in a lot of mocks I keep taking with the Bears first 2nd round pick, when he falls. He's available there around 60% of the time. Bears have very minimal IDL depth from switching to a 4-3 scheme this offseason. They made it a priority to fill that hole through free agency. They eventually landed Justin Jones on a one year deal. The mega dotelboner.jpg that Matt Eberflus would get from landing Travis Jones would be off the charts. Travis Jones easily could be the best DT in the draft over Jordan Davis & Devonte Wyatt. Early on, I was able to snag Travis Jones with the Bears 48th pick. Now he is mocking very early 2nd.
OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa, 6'5, 324 lbs
Tyler Smith who I feel is a late 1st, very early 2nd round is a good snag here. Smith is a quality run blocker. One thing he needs to clean up is holding penalties. He can fall into the bullpen of young tackles that Chicago has. Hopefully between Smith, Tevin Jenkins, and Larry Borom one would develop enough to secure a LT or RT spot ahead of 2023. Other than his handsy holding issues, I think Smith would be an upgrade of Jenkins & Borom week one.
CB Kyler Gordon, Washington, 5'11, 194 lbs
If all else fails, I would be fine with taking Kyler Gordon at pick 39. There really aren't many other CBs options available later on for Chicago. They have an opening at CB2 next to Jaylon Johnson. I see Thomas Graham Jr filling the nickle corner role over shitty Duke Shelley. Gordon projects as an early 2nd round pick. He never fell in any mocks I did to pick 48. If the Bears care to address CB2, this is the spot to do it.
PICK 48:
Obviously if any of those Pick 39 options fall to 48 we will consider them. Onto the new names we are starting to consider. Chicago should start to loom at LB options here.
LB Quay Walker, Georgia, 6'4, 241 lbs
Walker is potentially an option at pick 39, eventhough I really don't like going LB there. Walker I expect to be gone by 48, but if he is still there he's the best fit. Sure tackler. Good in pass and run coverage. Makes the players around him better.
LB Leo Chenal, Wisconsin, 6'3, 250 lbs
Chenal keeps rising and rising through the past few weeks. Outside of Roquan Smith, the Bears linebackers are non-existant. Chenal would pair with wrecking ball Roquan Smith very well. Chenal is on the Micah Parsons spectrum in terms of the disruption that he can cause. Roquan will probably be the SAM linebacker and Chenal would slot in to the MIKE role.
LB Troy Andersen, Montana State, 6'3, 242 lbs
Another potential LB option for Chicago to consider is Troy Andersen. Andersen is a more complete player and better athlete than Chenal. His main red flag is lack of experience. His testing numbers are for size/speed is off the charts. I like Andersen a lot more at pick 71, but I don't see him lasting that long.
PICK 71:
We're starting to consider some interior OL here. Any OT's taken here are gonna be hard pressed to be of starter caliber. OG's however we're still in the meat of the top 10 at the position.
OG Dylan Parham, Memphis, 6'3, 311 lbs
Parham is a little small but his athletism makes up for it. He actually bulked up for the Senior Bowl which is good. Bears lost James Daniels this year to free agency. They'll lose Cody Whitehair after 2022. IOL will need to be addressed soon.
OG Cole Strange, Chattanooga, 6'5, 307 lbs
Strange is a guy I typically draft at this 3rd round pick. He's a 3rd/4th rd talent so he usually falls. Like Parham he would be a solid fit for Chicago. Strange also could see some action at center also.
WR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama, 6'1, 194 lbs
In the event that we missed on Pickens or Moore in the 2nd round. Tolbert would be a nice option in the 3rd. I'm not a big fan of the Round 3 WR options. Tolbert I prefer as an option over Alec Pierce from Cincy who I have heard some Bears interest rumors. Pierce just seems like a contested catch guy in the redzone and Chicago doesn't have a use for that at this point. Rather have Tolbert here who has a better overall game.
DE Josh Paschal, Kentucky, 6'3, 268 lbs
I like the idea of taking a stab ay a high upside edge defender here. Edge is very expensive to go out and sign a free agent difference maker so it makes sense to keep the depth chart full. Edge is one of the areas Chicago doesn't need replacement starters yet, but in 2023 they could need one if they move Robert Quinn. Paschal is pretty raw with a good motor. I like him more as a 4th rd pick, but since Chicago doesn't have one, I'll highlight him here.
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Now on to the second half of the Bears picks, two 5ths, and a 6th.
PICK 148:
WR Bo Melton, Rutgers, 5'11, 189 lbs
Probably 80% of the mocks I did the past few weeks Melton falls to this area of the 5th. I'll gladly take him here at 148 regardless of any potential WRs we got in the first three picks. Melton was hidden on terrible Rutgers teams, but he is worth looking at. Melton has 4.34 spees, the strength to have broken double digit tackles in the past two seasons. He's really the only late round WR I'm looking at. As I talkes about with Skyy Moore, Melton has a similar profile to Darnell Mooney who I don't see Chicago wanting to overpay on in a year with a contract extension.
PICK 150:
More than likely we weren't able to address CB in the early rounds so we should at least be able to find someone to play the slot corner here if they can't hang as a CB2.
CB Marcus Jones, Houston, 5'8, 174 lbs
Bears need a returner also and Jones could help put there also. I've seen him mocked anywhere from the 3rd to 5th rounds. He would potentially be an option at Pick 71, but I'd feel not very confident in him there.
CB Joshua Williams, Fayetteville St, 6'3, 195 lbs
Williams should actually be available at this pick. Not the fastesr and could grt burned by pure speed WRs. He'll have to use his size and length to deal with that.
CB Cordale Flott, LSU, 6'0, 175 lbs
Flott would be drafted pretty much to be looked at as a slot corner. Bears need one. Anyone would be better than Duke Shelley getting burnes by everyone.
DE Dominique Robinson, Miami (OH)
Robinson is a raw talent that could fill in some Edge depth for Chicago behind Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson. I'm looking at value here in trying to find cheap edge defender depth that have starting potential. This is in preparation for Robert Quinn eventually getting traded.
PICK 186:
OG/OT Cordell Volson, North Dakota State
OT Braxton Jones, Southern Utah
I like taking late stabs in the 6th or 7th at bench OL depth. Bears have a lot of holes to fill on the OL. Volson and Jones could be nice gets.
RB Kevin Harris, South Carolina
RB Tyler Goodson, Iowa
Another position I like in the 5th/6th is taking a stab at RB depth. Chicago has two solid options with Montgomery & Herbert. After that the depth chart is weak.
OG/FB Jason Poe, Mercer
Sometimes when you need an IOL and are a team that actually signed a fullback in the offseason you look at a bowling ball like guard Jason Poe with 4.89 speed as a nice round 6 or 7 option. Chicago Bears fans appreciate fat guy touchdowns whether they are offense or defense. Poe could definitely see some goal line FB looks.
