With so much uncertainty at the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears this offseason, I wanted to wait for the Justin Fields decision to be made before diving into my annual theme mock drafts. Fields is in Pittsburgh, and all signs point to Chicago taking a quarterback at one.
The recent trades for offensive lineman Ryan Bates and receiver Keenan Allen leave the Bears with only four draft picks, so I would expect GM Ryan Poles to make a move at some point to acquire more picks. However, there are no guarantees he’ll find a partner wanting to trade up. If he has to stand pat, then picking the best player available at nine overall and in the third and fourth rounds may be the smart play.
In this BPA mock, I picked the next player up on the board at each selection while using Pro Football Network’s draft simulator. My only planned exception was if an apparent scheme mismatch popped up, but this mock fell without any issues.
1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC – The Bears have met with Williams and his family several times. They were rolling ten deep at the USC pro day. They’ll have him in for a top-30 visit soon. So unless something drastic comes up with his medicals, or a Bears’ investigator can substantiate any of the b.s. rumors floating around about him, Caleb is going to be Bear.
9. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame – The Bears have consistently praised left tackle Braxton Jones, so I don’t see them drafting an offensive tackle at nine… but Alt is a fantastic prospect. He comes from a Pro Bowl bloodline and has Pro Bowl upside himself.
75. Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington – The Bears need another defensive end, and Trice’s motor would allow him to break into the rotation as a rookie.
122. Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU – I liked what I saw from Gervon Dexter Sr. as a rookie, and I have high hopes for him in 2024, but another three tech would be welcome in the draft. Wingo is a bit undersized (6′, 284), but he has a quick first step to make an impact in a one-gap scheme.
So why do I simulate theme mocks? Look… I’m not taking deep dives into 350+ prospects like Jacob does, so running theme mock drafts gives me a fun way to research players and draft day scenarios that the Bears may find themselves in. You want deep analysis into prospects, we have plenty of guys around here that can do that for you.
But that said, I’d be content if this was how the real draft fell for Poles and the Bears. I’d rather a wide receiver be the pick at nine, but Alt is going to be a stud. I suppose if a trade-back wasn’t possible, then going edge at nine and pivoting in the third round to one of the receivers in this deep class could work, too.