[Editor’s Note: Version 1.0 below was originally published on February 17]
It was a season where the Chicago Bears came in with aspirations of a Super Bowl but left without even a playoff appearance. The defense that was great the year before was, for the most part, stellar, but the offensive side of the football experienced a lot of turmoil throughout the season. With questions about the development of Mitchell Trubisky and multiple needs that the team has to fill, they are entering a period that they have to capitalize on but not under the ideal circumstances. Here is a Bears 7-round mock draft that can help them move closer to their goals.
Team Needs
Offensive Needs
To start, we have to address what in the world they are going to do with Trubisky. He was frankly horrible this year, but it is hard to move on from a guy you invested so much in. So, while quarterback is a need, it is not going to be addressed with a rookie, but a veteran could be a possibility.
Running back could be a minor need with Tarik Cohen having some struggles down the stretch, but David Montgomery did show a lot of promise. The wide receiver room is stable and is at most a minor need. They could take a late-round flier, at best. Tight end is a massive need and it shows. Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen have not proven to be all that great for the Bears, and they need to address it this draft.
As for the offensive line, with the retirement of Kyle Long, the Bears have a need on the interior of their line. That will be a crucial spot to address. Later in the draft, a tackle seems likely with Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie not locked in there for the long-term future.
Defensive Needs
The Bears have fewer needs here, but edge rusher is a significant need for the Bears. Leonard Floyd has not been up to standards for the Bears, and they will either need a successor or a replacement.
The Bears could use some injected youth in the secondary and, in the later rounds, will likely address the need to get some of that much-needed youth on the back end. Safety is probably a bit more necessary to address than cornerback right now, but both could be addressed.
As for inside linebacker and interior defensive line, it is possible to draft some youth and dip into those talent pools, but the Bears do happen to have those positions well-positioned at this current juncture.
Chicago Bears 7-round mock draft
Round 2, Pick 43: Cesar Ruiz, IOL Michigan
I think that the Bears need to address the offensive line early here, and there is no better way to address it than with arguably the best interior offensive lineman in the entire draft. To replace Long, the Bears go out and get the athletic and versatile Cesar Ruiz from Michigan.
Ruiz has the versatility to play both center and guard, but it will be his heavy hands and elite functional athleticism in space that is the draw to him this early in the draft. This is a perfect fit for the Bears who love to get their guards out in space and ask them to be of a mauler mentality.
He will bring not just stability in the run game, but smooth and reliable pass protection skills and high football IQ skills to pass off twists. The Bears were nothing better than an average pass protection unit as a whole, but Ruiz would make sure they fall no further than that and could be a boon on the interior. It is a fit that the Bears could not pass up.
Also Considered: TCU OT Lucas Niang, LSU IOL Lloyd Cushenberry
Round 2, Pick 50: Adam Trautman, TE Dayton
There is no way the Bears get out of this draft without taking a tight end. It is a necessity to give whoever is the signal-caller a stable target over the middle. But even more so, they can get a guy who is versatile and will be nasty in the trenches if they need him to be. Enter a small-school tight end, who is, in my opinion, the best tight end in the draft in Adam Trautman.
Bears fans will be scared of another small school tight end due to the failed draft pick of Shaheen, but Trautman is a more complete tight end than Shaheen was coming out. Trautman is a good functional athlete that has surprisingly good route running skills in space. You can split him out wide or keep him in-line with his hand in the dirt with no issues.
Trautman is a guy who will be a starter in the NFL for years to come due to his dynamic and physical skillset. He could very well be the first tight end off the board due to a great process and some very good tape he put over his career with the Dayton Flyers.
Also Considered: Washington TE Hunter Bryant, Purdue TE Brycen Hopkins
Round 4 (Compensatory Pick): Alton Robinson, EDGE Syracuse
The Bears badly need to get a bendy edge guy that can win with great explosiveness and rapidly improving hand usage. Alton Robinson, out of Syracuse, checks both of those boxes and gives the Bears a guy with a lot of upside to add to a pass rush arsenal that already includes Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks.
Robinson’s most underrated trait is the power and pop he has in his pads. He carries heavier hands with him to me than he is given credit for and is not just a one-trick pony who tries to beat you outside. Now, Robinson is certainly not a fantastic prospect by any means, hence why he falls to here, but he is still a guy who fits nicely into what the Bears will need.
Also Considered: Tulsa EDGE Trevis Gipson, Kansas OT Hakeem Adeniji
Round 5, Pick 142: Justin Herron, OT Wake Forest
Justin Herron is flying under the radar a little bit right now, but I have questions as to why he is, even in a very talented offensive tackle class. He has fantastic length, and his frame is built for the modern NFL and the Bears, who will ask their offensive tackles to get out in space. As a guy on day three, Herron is going to be a great depth chip that can move up boards.
His athleticism and pass sets are nice and fluid. Herron flashes proper hand usage and pad level that allows him to anchor down and be a trustworthy guy in pass protection. And that is the boon the Bears will need along the offensive line. There are still things to work on with Herron, but in the fifth round, this is a solid pick for the Bears.
Also Considered: South Carolina State OT Alex Taylor, Fresno State CB Jaron Bryant
Round 5, Pick 146: Dane Jackson, CB Pittsburgh
The Bears need to add that youth to the unit, and Dane Jackson injects just that to an already excellent secondary. Jackson has already seen his stock shoot up through the roof after a standout week down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. His aggressive style and fluidity stood out at the Senior Bowl. He has shown that he can be a contributor on an NFL defense.
Jackson will need to answer some athleticism questions at the combine and might fall due to how polished he is, thus lacking the upside of a guy like Noah Igbinoghene, but he is a solid player. He has the length to press cover you, the route anticipation to stay in a zone-based or match coverage-based scheme, and the tackling ability to be a contributor on special teams and in run support. This one is a slam dunk pick.
Also Considered: Minnesota CB Chris Williamson, Temple CB Harrison Hand
Round 6, Pick 177: Aaron Parker, WR Rhode Island
The Bears might not have a ton of need at wide receiver, but you can never have enough solid wide receivers on your roster. Aaron Parker is a sleeper but had a standout year down at Rhode Island and stood out in a good way at the Shrine Game as well. Through them both, Parker has likely landed himself right in the day three radar as a sleeper upside pick.
Parker has some serious bunnies in his system and could test quite well. He can sky up in the air and, with strong hands, bring in jump balls with ease. That is one of the most significant specialties that Parker has in his arsenal, but he still has solid functional athleticism and fluidity in and out of his breaks. Parker’s excellent size and frame with the ability to still separate lands him a spot here with the Bears, and he could find himself on the 53-man roster.
Also Considered: Vanderbilt WR Kalija Lipscomb, Ohio State WR Austin Mack
Round 6, Pick 181: Jaylinn Hawkins, S California
The Bears do need to add depth to their safety room, and there is no better way to do it than adding a good sleeper in Jaylinn Hawkins. Now, Hawkins was Ashtyn Davis’s running mate, but that does not mean he does not have any merit on his own right and standing.
In a word, Hawkins is an absolute baller and ballhawk. This is a guy who can line up in the slot or play down in an overhung type of role. Hawkins is a guy who plays with an extremely hot motor and loves to throw himself around and lay the wood. That is a commonality among this Golden Bears defense, but Hawkins brings great instincts and athleticism along with it.
Hawkins gives the Bears a late-round spark plug that will be an immediate contributor on special teams and could grow into something more in the future.
Also Considered: Mississippi State S Brian Cole, Alabama S Jared Mayden
Round 7, Pick 211: Cole McDonald, QB Hawaii
Man, the high upside pick at quarterback is always something you can do. However, the Bears really could use a late-round flier on a quarterback with some massive upside to potentially be a late-round steal for them. They hope that gem could come into the form of Cole McDonald out of Hawaii here.
McDonald has an absolute rocket arm and can make the ball fly with zip and some surprising touch. He played in the run and shoot offense, and that requires him to have a pretty high football IQ and process the defense quickly, leading to a large number of turnovers due to some miscommunications.
He has some outstanding athleticism and has no fear to tuck and run if the play breaks down. The accuracy and mechanics are two things that will need to improve at the next level, but this pick makes a ton of natural sense for the Bears at this juncture.
Also Considered: Utah QB Tyler Huntley