The 2022 NFL Draft is just a couple of weeks out, therefore, draft pundits are going to kick things into high gear over the coming days.

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler is one of them. He recently released his seven-round mock draft for all 32 NFL teams and all 262 picks. Brugler is one of the most respected and most knowledgeable pundits in the country and his mock drafts always contain the most important aspects/factors when it comes to predicting a team’s future picks.

What does he have in mind for the Chicago Bears? Let’s dive in and find out.

Brugler has the Bears selecting the following players:

• Round 2, Pick No. 39 overall: WR Christian Watson, North Dakota State Bison
• Round 2, Pick No. 48 overall: DT Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma Sooners
• Round 3, Pick No. 71 overall: OL Darian Kinnard, Kentucky Wildcats
• Round 5, Pick No. 148 overall: RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Round 5, Pick No. 150 overall: CB CorDale Flott, LSU Tigers
• Round 6, Pick No. 186 overall: S Smoke Monday, Auburn Tigers

Best pick: WR Christian Watson

This pick would be a dream come true for the Bears, who are reportedly hoping against hope that Watson falls to them at No. 39.

Watson is athletic freak and has all the tools to be a No. 1 receiver in the league. Any pick that gives Justin Fields a weapon should mostly be considered a success in this mock draft and in real life.

Worst pick: Lack of overall weapons for Fields

It's not really the picks that are considered "worst" in this Bears mock draft, it's more the process.

Yes, the Bears need help on the defensive line after the departures of Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols, but both Jalen Tolbert and Trey McBride were still on the board. The selection of Kinnard is sensible, but teams are unsure if he fits at guard or right tackle. Greg Dulcich and Alec Pierce were still on the board at the time of his selection, which hurts a bit. However, the argument that it doesn't matter what Fields has for weapons if he can't stay upright certainly helps with the hurt.

The picks are sensible, at the end of the day, and they fill positions of need. But, the Bears need to make sure their franchise quarterback is set up for success and they only slightly make sure of that in this mock draft.

Selecting one offensive playmaker/skill player in Watson simply isn't enough. And when considering the other viable options on the board, it negates the overall value of this mock draft.

Final word

Chicago gets some solid players, but it didn't fully help Fields and that's an issue.

The top-3 picks could certainly turn into quality starters in the long run and Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus know that they are in the middle of a full-blown rebuild. So, it makes sense to play the long game.

But at the same time, they can't waste any time when it comes to properly evaluating Fields. "Getting Justin Fields more weapons" doesn't need to be the theme of the 2023 offseason, but that's what it will be if the Bears end up replicating this mock draft.

You can check out Brugler’s full seven-round mock draft, here.

Featured image via Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports