What the Bears do with the No. 1 overall pick if the Panthers continue their path to the NFL’s worst record will be the subject of debate for months to come. Should they stand pat with Justin Fields and build around him? Or should they select a new rookie to reset the clock on their rebuild?

We’re going to explore that second route in this mock draft.

As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. Nor is it meant as a recommendation of what the Bears should do. This mock draft is meant as an opportunity to dig into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

NO. 1: CALEB WILLIAMS – QUARTERBACK – USC

Last year, Ryan Poles passed on picking a new quarterback and traded away the No. 1 pick for a DJ Moore and a bounty of other draft selections. He can’t resist the opportunity to add a young, talented QB again, though. There are reasons to believe Justin Fields can succeed as an NFL quarterback, but he’ll need to be paid a hefty contract soon, and the Bears aren’t quite ready to contend for Super Bowls yet. So Poles opts to trade Fields, draft Williams and give the Bears more runway to win with a QB on a rookie deal.

Williams has all the same big-play upside that Fields brings to the offense. He’s a threat to score with his legs, has a top notch deep ball and can turn busted plays into explosive gains with his off-script improvisations. Ball security issues cropped up with nine fumbles this season, but over the breadth of his career Williams has taken very good care of the football. He’s also effective working as a rhythm and timing passer. There’s a reason he’s one of the most highly-touted quarterback prospects since Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence came out in 2020 and 2021.

NO. 7: JER’ZHAN NEWTON – DEFENSIVE TACKLE – ILLINOIS

The best defensive lines in the NFL come at you in waves, and the Bears’ success on defense starts with their front four. Whether or not Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens develop as the Bears hope, they’ll want to continue adding young talent to the interior of their defensive line.

Newton is a dynamic three-tech who can help plug up holes in the run game and dent the pocket in the pass rush. His eight sacks rank tied for second in the nation among all interior linemen, his 44 total pressures are third, and his 15.5% pass rush win rate ranks fourth among all interior linemen with at least 200 pass rush snaps. His 25 run stops ranks tied for sixth.

NO. 71: BILLY BOWMAN JR. – SAFETY – OKLAHOMA

If the Bears have concerns about Eddie Jackson’s foot that kept him out of five games in 2022 and five games this year, they could look to replace him as early as next season. In that case they’ll need someone with ballhawking skills to take his place in the back end of the defense. Bowman Jr. has displayed the ranginess, instincts and ball skills required to play free safety and has the production to back it up with nine interceptions over the past two seasons. He also swipes at the ball while tackling in a manner that Bears coaches preach to force fumbles. Beyond the ball production, Bowman Jr. shows a willingness to contribute in the run game when asked to play at the line of scrimmage. He has seven TFLs dating back to 2021.

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While the Bears are technically still “in the hunt” for the playoffs, their chances of making a run for the postseason are really a pipedream. So why not take a look at the upcoming crop of rookie talent to see who may help the team moving forward?

We’ve done several mock drafts already, including scenarios where the Bears select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to take over at quarterback. We’ve also explored what it may look like if the Bears decide to stick with Justin Fields and trade away the No. 1 overall pick for a second year in a row. We’re gonna go down that last route again in this mock draft.

As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. This mock draft is meant as an opportunity to dig into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

TRADE!

BEARS SEND NO. 1 OVERALL PICK TO NEW ENGLAND FOR NOS. 2, 66 AND 2025 FOURTH-ROUND PICKS

Rather than moving up for a quarterback in 2021, the Patriots let Mac Jones fall to them. This time they act aggressively to get their guy. Bears GM Ryan Poles had better offers for the No. 1 pick, but he takes a smaller haul to ensure he doesn’t miss on a dynamite player at No. 2.

NO. 2: MARVIN HARRISON JR. – WIDE RECEIVER – OHIO STATE

The Bears opt to build around Fields by drafting the best wide receiver in this year’s class. Harrison Jr. can do it all and beats defenses in a variety of ways. He’s great off the line, he’s a wonderful route runner and boasts phenomenal hands when catching the ball. Beyond the raw talent and technique, Harrison Jr. has also been lauded for his top-notch work ethic and supreme competitive drive. He’s as blue-chip as blue-chip gets. Harrison Jr. and DJ Moore give the Bears a serious one-two punch at wide receiver.

NO. 5: DALLAS TURNER – EDGE – ALABAMA

Turner hasn’t generated the same hype that Will Anderson did last season, but he’s a productive pass rusher in his own right. Turner has the speed to make tackles in pursuit, the side-to-side agility to keep ball carriers in front of him and the strength to shed blocks. Even though he’s listed as an outside linebacker, Turner has plenty of experience rushing with a hand in the dirt, which is important to play defensive end in Matt Eberflus’ scheme. He should be able to make the transition to defensive end without any trouble. Turner leads the Crimson Tide with 10 sacks and 14.5 TFL. Turner is a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which recognizes the best defensive player in the nation.

NO. 66: ROD MOORE – SAFETY – MICHIGAN

Eddie Jackson only has one year left on his current deal, and hasn’t been able to stay on the field due to a nagging foot injury, so the Bears need to start thinking about a replacement safety. Right now, Elijah Hicks has been the man to fill in when Jackson is out, but the team will likely want to bring in more young talent to compete for the starting free safety job. Moore has shown the ball-hawking skills that the Bears covet on defense with six interceptions over the past two seasons. His solid 6.8% missed tackle rate will please the defensive coaches too.

NO. 69: JOHNNY WILSON – WIDE RECEIVER – FLORIDA STATE

If the Bears decide to move on from Darnell Mooney this offseason, they’ll need to add a couple of wide receivers, not just Harrison Jr. Wilson entered the season as a potential first-round prospect, but his stock has fallen over the year due to a propensity for drops and some lackluster production. But Poles loves prospects with traits you can’t teach, and Wilson comes in with a monster 6’7”, 237 lbs frame. He uses that body well for contested catches and jump balls. With DJ Moore and Harrison Jr. in the mix, Wilson also has a better chance to thrive as a No. 3 or 4 option.

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We’ve done several mock drafts already, including scenarios where the Bears select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to take over at quarterback. But there’s a decent chance that Justin Fields plays great over the final weeks of the season and the team moves forward with him under center. In that case, the Bears stand to trade away the No. 1 overall pick in the draft for a second year in a row (if the Panthers stick at the bottom of the standings).

That’s exactly what we mocked this week.

As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. This mock draft is meant as an to explore some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

TRADE!

BEARS SEND NO. 1 OVERALL PICK TO ARIZONA CARDINALS FOR NOS. 2, 34 AND 2025 THIRD-ROUND PICK

GM Ryan Poles needs to thread the needle when he trades away the No. 1 overall pick this year. He wants to get something from a QB-needy team, but doesn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to select a top-five talent. So he moves back just one spot, picks up an early second-rounder and a third-rounder in 2025. The second-round pick in particular is important, since Poles sent his second-rounder to the Commanders in the Montez Sweat trade.

NO. 2: MARVIN HARRISON JR. – WIDE RECEIVER – OHIO STATE

The Bears opt to build around Fields by drafting the best wide receiver in this year’s class. Harrison Jr. can do it all and beats defenses in a variety of ways. He’s great off the line, he’s a wonderful route runner and boasts phenomenal hands when catching the ball. Beyond the raw talent and technique, Harrison Jr. has also been lauded for his top-notch work ethic and supreme competitive drive. He’s as blue-chip as blue-chip gets. Harrison Jr. and DJ Moore give the Bears a serious one-two punch at wide receiver.

NO. 4: OLU FASHANU – LEFT TACKLE – PENN STATE

The Bears continue to add on offense by drafting the consensus top tackle in the class. The team likes what current left tackle Braxton Jones has done defending Fields’ blindside over the past year and a half, but Poles can’t pass on the opportunity to add a player of Fashanu’s caliber. He’s often praised for his anchor in pass protection– which is something that experts critique in Jones’ game– and is known for being a technician. Pair that with his enormous frame and you’ve got a slam dunk offensive line prospect. Moving Jones to swing tackle improves the depth of the unit as a whole, too.

NO. 34: JONAH ELLISS – EDGE – UTAH

Poles continues building out the trenches by adding one of the most productive pass rushers in the country this season. Elliss can rush from a two-point or three-point stance and has a variety of moves to beat opposing linemen. His spin move and swim move in particular can be devastating. Elliss has 12 sacks, 16 TFL and one forced fumble this year. He has a good chance to replace Yannick Ngakoue as the team’s top pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, or at least split reps with DeMarcus Walker.

NO. 68: T’VONDRE SWEAT – DEFENSIVE TACKLE – TEXAS

The Bears get extra Sweaty by adding another young three-tech to the mix. There’s no indication that T’Vondre and Montez are related, but they could be best buddies rushing the QB next to each other. T’Vondre is huge and uses his size to stop opposing ball carriers. The Longhorns list him at a whopping 6’4”, 362 pounds, but he’s not just a beefy run stuffer. His 15.9% pass rush win rate ranks fourth among all interior linemen with at least 200 pass rush snaps. His six batted balls are tied for second in the nation.

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The Bears entered this season with a stated goal of fully evaluating Justin Fields. The team needs to know by year’s end whether or not he’s the franchise QB moving forward. Head coach Matt Eberflus says the remaining seven games will be sufficient for Fields to display the requisite consistency to keep his job in Chicago. If he does, the Bears could trade away the No. 1 pick again to a QB-needy team, or they could stay put and draft a high-impact player like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. If he doesn’t, GM Ryan Poles could hand pick his next quarterback.

It’s also worth mentioning, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. This mock draft is meant as an educational tool to explore some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

NO. 1: DRAKE MAYE – QUARTERBACK – UNC

Poles gets his guy. Draft expert Dane Brugler recently made Maye the new No. 1 prospect on his big board, over USC’s Caleb Williams, and it’s easy to understand why. He’s got a phenomenal deep ball and can hit streaking wide receivers in stride. He’s not afraid to throw contested balls to give his receivers a chance to make a 50-50 grab, which would pair well with DJ Moore’s skill set. He’s very accurate and throws with great timing, but he can improvise when plays break down too. Maye doesn’t have the same scrambling ability of Williams or Fields, but he’s athletic enough to be a threat with his legs. Pretty much the full package. In the last two seasons leading the Tar Heels offense, Maye has completed 66% of his passes for 7,466 yards and 59 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Maye has also carried the ball 277 times for 974 yards and 15 touchdowns.

NO. 5: LAIATU LATU – EDGE – UCLA

Latu rushes from a two-point stance a lot, and the Bears like their edge rushers to use a three-point stance, but that little discrepancy shouldn’t matter. Scouts love how Latu uses exceptional technique to shed blocks, and note his quick play speed. Latu never quits on a play, which is a prerequisite for Eberflus’ program. In addition, Latu can kick inside to rush over the tackle or from the b-gap, and the Bears love that kind of versatility. Over the past two seasons, Latu has 21.5 sacks and 31 TFLs.

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You ready for some mock drafts after a disappointing Week 1 flop against the Packers? Even though rational thinking says, “That was just one week, no need to panic just yet,” with bitter rivalries like Bears-Packers, rational thinking goes out the window. So I get it. Freak out if you want. And if looking ahead to some college prospects helps, we’re here to help.

Thankfully Pro Football Focus’ 2024 Mock Draft Tool is already up and running and they’ve slotted teams in where they believe they may finish. They’ve got the Bears picking at No. 8 since they own the Panthers’ first-round pick this year, and they have the Bears’ own pick coming in at No. 14. PFF’s mock draft tool also only goes up to the third-round right now, so three rounds is all we’ve got for ya. 

It’s also worth mentioning, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. This mock draft is meant as an educational tool to explore some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

NO. 8: JER’ZHAN NEWTON – DEFENSIVE TACKLE – ILLINOIS

The best defensive lines in the NFL come at you in waves, and the Bears want to succeed on defense with their front four. Newton is a dynamic three-tech who can help plug up holes in the run game, if that’s an area where the Bears struggle again. DT may not look like a need now, but if the team decides to part ways with the underwhelming Justin Jones and replaces him with Gervon Dexter or Zacch Pickens, they’ll want to add more young depth to the group. In two games for the Fighting Illini this year, Newton has two sacks and two TFLs.

NO. 14: JOE ALT – OFFENSIVE TACKLE – NOTRE DAME

Even with Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright in the fold, the Bears need more depth and more competition at offensive tackle. Protecting the quarterback is paramount, and the edges are where offensive lines typically get attacked the most. Alt appears destined to be an immediate impact player wherever he lands, and he could help the Bears.

NO. 46: ROD MOORE – SAFETY – MICHIGAN

Eddie Jackson only has one more year left on his deal after 2023, so the Bears will need to start thinking about the future of the position soon. Right now the team only has Elijah Hicks on the active roster as a backup safety. Moore hasn’t played this season due to injury, but last season he showed the tackling and takeaway ability the Bears covet in their DBs. He finished 2022 with 71 tackles and four interceptions.

NO. 78: NELSON CEASER – EDGE – HOUSTON

It’s no secret the Bears need to inject more young talent to their pass rushing group, and Ceaser is off to a hot start for the Cougars. In two games he’s got three sacks and four TFLs. If he keeps up that type of production throughout the year, he’ll start climbing draft boards.

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Most college football teams have only played one or two games this year, but we’ve already gotten some standout performances from guys expected to be high draft picks this year. Other players started to put themselves on the radar and will look to build upon fast starts.

Meanwhile, the NFL season is set to begin Thursday night, so we have no idea where each team will land in next year’s draft order. Once again, we will not be deterred. Thankfully Pro Football Focus’ 2024 Mock Draft Tool is already up and running and they’ve slotted teams in where they believe they may finish. They’ve got the Bears picking at No. 8 since they own the Panthers’ first-round pick this year, and they have the Bears’ own pick coming in at No. 14. PFF’s mock draft tool also only goes up to the third-round right now, so three rounds is all we’ve got for ya. 

It’s also worth mentioning, these mock drafts are not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. These mock drafts are meant as an educational tool to explore some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.

Without further ado, here’s our first– and way too early– mock draft.

NO. 8: LAIATU LATU – EDGE – UCLA

Latu rushes from a two-point stance a lot, and the Bears like their edge rushers to use a three-point stance, but that little discrepancy shouldn’t matter. He’s fast, strong, can shed blocks and never quits on a play. Latu can kick inside to rush over the tackle or from the b-gap, and the Bears love that kind of versatility. Latu went nuts in Week 1 with three sacks plus a forced fumble.

NO. 14: KEON COLEMAN – WIDE RECEIVER – FLORIDA STATE

The Bears are set at wide receiver this year, but Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool are each playing on the final year of their respective deals. If they decide to part ways with either guy, they’ll be on the market for a new pass catcher, and Coleman could be a great fit. To start, his 6’4” frame gives Justin Fields a big target, and complements DJ Moore’s 6’0” size well. Scouts love Coleman’s ability to create separation and last Sunday he showed great contested catch en route to an incredible nine catch, 122-yard, three touchdown day.

NO. 46: SEDRICK VAN PRAN – CENTER – GEORGIA

Cody Whitehair or Lucas Patrick may be a serviceable option at center this season, but neither man can be considered a long term answer at the position. Protecting Justin Fields is paramount, so the Bears must continue to use valuable draft picks to improve their offensive line. Van Pran will be a three-year starter at center by season’s end, and he’ll be extremely battle tested going against stout SEC opponents. Further, Van Pran has impressed up to this point. In 920 pass rush opportunities, he’s only surrendered one sack and 22 pressures total, per PFF. Van Pran is not known for his athleticism in space, so he’s not a perfect fit for the Bears, but scouts say he plays well enough in zone blocking schemes similar to what the Bears deploy that he may be able to get by.

NO. 78: PRINCELY UMANMIELEN – EDGE – FLORIDA

This pick is a bit of a projection, but Umanmielen projects to take a step forward as one of the Gators’ primary pass rushers this season. In 25 career games he has 7.5 sacks, 13 TFLs and three forced fumbles. There’s no such thing as too many pass rushers, and with so many defensive linemen on one-year deals, or expiring deals, the Bears will need to continue to add talent to the front four.

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