We’re halfway through the NFL season, and it’s looking more and more like the Bears will have a real shot to secure one of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL draft thanks to the Carolina Panthers. The Bears own the Panthers’ first-round pick this year thanks to the deal that sent the No. 1 pick to Carolina in March. If the season ended today, that would be the No. 1 overall pick, again.
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.
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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.
