Bears Mock Draft Monday: Ryan Poles trades down and trades away Justin Fields
The 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner and the smoke is already starting to spread out following a busy weekend in the NFL. With the 2024 Senior Bowl officially wrapped up, many scouts and executives got a first-hand look at some of the top prospects in the draft. The event was also an […]
The 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner and the smoke is already starting to spread out following a busy weekend in the NFL.
With the 2024 Senior Bowl officially wrapped up, many scouts and executives got a first-hand look at some of the top prospects in the draft. The event was also an opportunity for league insiders to poke around for major scoops while in attendance.
As for the draft itself, the Chicago Bears are still in control of the board entering February but maybe not for long. News broke on Sunday at the Washington Commanders named USC quarterback coach and senior offensive assistant Kliff Kingsbury as the new offensive coordinator. Here's what that could mean for April's upcoming draft.
The Commanders new offensive coordinator has obvious ties to USC quarterback, and top draft prospect, Caleb Williams. However, the Commanders sit behind the Bears with the second overall pick and many insiders believe the Bears are targeting Williams with their first overall pick. But things can change if the price is right.
For this week's Bears mock draft, let's have general manager Ryan Poles get really crazy. In this mock, the Bears will be trading the first overall pick to the Commanders in exchange for the second overall pick, a 2025 second round pick and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. On top of that, we will have the Bears trade quarterback Justin Fields to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for their 2024 and 2025 second round picks.
With that being established, let's see how this mock draft could play out for Chicago.
2nd Overall Pick: QB Drake Maye
After giving up the first overall pick for the second year in a row and trading away the former 2023 starter, the Bears still land a top prospect at the quarterback position while getting an absolute haul in return.
And before anyone even says it, Drake Maye is miles better of a prospect than Mitch Trubisky ever was coming out of North Carolina. Maye is widely expected to be the second player off the board after Williams and some scouts could even have him ranked higher than Williams.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah claimed Maye has "every ingredient to be a top-tier starter at the game's most important position" and explicitly mentioned his size, athleticism, arm strength, and rushing ability as major assets. He's everything and more that the Bears could possibly want as their starter heading into the future.
9th Overall Pick: TE Brock Bowers
If we're already going nuts with this mock draft, we might as well keep it going. With the Bears second selection in the Top-10, the Bears add another top weapon for their new rookie quarterback in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
The Bears trifecta in the passing game would now include wide receiver DJ Moore, Bowers in the slot and Cole Kmet in is natural position as an in-line tight end. Jeremiah compared Bowers to San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle who will be facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs in a few days at Super Bowl LVIII.
Bowers would be the perfect addition to the Bears offense, even if one of the top three wide receivers were still on the board. He offers a unique blend of size, finesse, and play-making ability to an offense to help the unit reach the next level.
43rd Overall Pick (via ATL): DE Chop Robinson
Chop Robinson easily has a first round grade but could be one of those players who always seems to fall into Day 2. If so, the Bears come away with an incredible steal and makes the Fields trade look like an immediate success.
The Bears could also look to add another pass rusher to complement defensive end Montez Sweat in the first round but this outcome works out even better for Chicago. Jeremiah claimed Robinson was "very disruptive in every game" he studied leading up to this year's draft.
Robinson finished his 2023 season at Penn State with 4.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss. Bears new defensive coordinator Eric Washington will have a field day moving Robinson around the front each and every week.
75th Overall Pick: WR Roman Wilson
The Bears miss out on a top wide receiver in the first round but still add a considerable play-maker at the position in the third round in Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Wilson just wrapped up a stellar weekend at the Senior Bowl leading up to the draft. The Wolverines' standout got open all week long and impressed many of the scouts in attendance down in Mobile, Alabama. Wilson finished his 2023 season with 48 receptions for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Bears offense with Moore, Kmet, Bowers and Wilson could be something special.
4th Round Pick: C Sedrick Van Pran
The Bears offensive overhaul in the draft continues with Georgia offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran. The Bulldogs have consistently bred top offensive linemen into the NFL and Van Pran is the next player expected to join the list.
Chicago has an immediate need at the position heading into the 2024 season, especially with a new rookie quarterback potentially under center. According to Pro Football Focus, Van Pran allowed 0 sacks and 12 pressures in 2023. That's the type of production the Bears expect to see out of a starting offensive linemen.
4th Round Pick: WR Malik Washington
The Bears already added one Senior Bowl darling in this mock draft at the wide receiver position, why not add one of the darlings from the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl as well?
Malik Washington has all the makings to be a consistent play-maker at the next level and is turning into everyone's favorite "under the radar" prospect. Washington led the FBS with 110 receptions and ranked 4th in the FBS with 1,426 receiving yards while having a team-high nine touchdowns. He's a special player to add in the later rounds.
5th Round Pick: S Trey Taylor
Another player who participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl this season in front of multiple members of the Bears coaching staff was Air Force safety Trey Taylor. With an uncertain future regarding long-time veteran Eddie Jackson, the Bears can plan ahead at the position by adding Taylor to an already loaded secondary.
The Jim Thorpe Award winner in 2023 (the nation's top defensive back) had three interceptions and four pass breakups while allowing a 47.2 passer rating in coverage according to Pro Football Focus. At the Shine Bowl, Taylor was coached by Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi who served as his defensive coordinator.
NFL Insider reveals what the Bears could get if they traded the first overall pick
What will the Bears end up doing?
