It’s football Sunday, but the Bears aren’t on the schedule as they prepare to play the Vikings on Monday Night Football. Seems like a good time for some mock draft fun.
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.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
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.
NFL
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.