Mocking the Mocks: What the experts think the Bears will do

Mocking the Mocks: What the experts think the Bears will do

The 2024 NFL Draft is exactly four weeks away, so let’s examine what some national draft analysts think the Chicago Bears will do.

1 . Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams, QB, USC

The Justin Fields era is over, and the Bears can now reset their QB clock with Williams, who is an electric playmaker and a growing pocket passer who can obliterate opponents from within and outside the pocket.

Williams has been the no-brainer pick for weeks, and recent comments from Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus make it seem even more obvious.

9. Chicago Bears select Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State

So the Bears can go anywhere with this pick, especially after trading for WR Keenan Allen. The trade doesn’t mean that the Bears can’t pick a receiver, especially if Odunze and Nabers are here. They could go defense here, with Montez Sweat needing a running mate. I chose to give them some more protection for Caleb Williams, and the best pass protector in the class in Fashanu. Moving Braxton Jones to a swing tackle and having Wright+Fashanu as your bookend tackles seems like a good idea to me in a conference with some feared pass rushers.

Fashanu is a capable pass blocker, but knowing how fondly the Bears speak of Braxton Jones, I don’t see the Bears going left tackle at nine.

• The latest from ESPN’s Matt Miller is a full seven-rounder, and while he did include trades, he didn’t mock any trades for the Bears.

Miller kicks off his mock, making the “easy call at No. 1,” USC’s Caleb Williams, and he writes that Caleb could “have a C.J. Stroud-like impact” as a rookie.

I’m a big fan of his pick at nine.

9. Chicago Bears – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Get your franchise quarterback at No. 1 overall and find his new best friend at No. 9. That’s the model for the Bears in this draft if no trade-back opportunities are attractive. (Chicago has four total picks and none beyond Round 4.) Adding Odunze to a pass-catcher group that includes Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett makes this offense dangerous. The junior wideout is coming off a season with 92 catches, 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns.

If Odunze is on the board at nine, he’s my top choice.

Miller has the Bears addressing the line with his final two mock picks.

75. Chicago Bears – Jonah Elliss, DE, Utah

122. Chicago Bears (via PHI): Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College

• ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum has the Bears going Caleb Williams at one, but his mock falls in a way that I’ve yet to see on any other mock draft this offseason.

But this would be fantastic.

9. Chicago Bears – Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Chicago just traded for Keenan Allen and has a really solid set of playmakers, but how can you pass up Harrison at No. 9? He reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald — he’s excellent in contested catch situations, has great hands, and gets in and out of his breaks smoothly despite being 6-3 and 209 pounds. He just had his second straight season with 14 TDs and over 1,200 receiving yards (1,211). What better way to put Caleb Williams in a position to be successful than loading up his supporting cast?

Each year there are odd things that happen on draft night, and while MJH falling seems unlikely, there has been a ton of buzz about LSU wideout Malik Nabers being atop many team’s boards.

• Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger gives the Bears the popular Williams-Odunze 1-2 punch, as does NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, and the latest mock from USA Today.
• Today’s mock from Charles Davis on NFL.com has Caleb at one for the Bears, but his pick at nine is a new one.

Pick 9 – Laiatu Latu, UCLA · Edge · Senior

I’ve heard the mantra of “QB at 1, WR at 9” from Bears fans this offseason, but with the recent acquisition of Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen, GM Ryan Poles shifts his attention to bolstering a blossoming defense by adding a skilled pass rusher to help last year’s trade-deadline pickup, Montez Sweat.

Latu is his second edge off the board, and he also has the top three receivers off, so if there wasn’t a trade back partner to be found, I could get behind this pick.

• Charles McDonald (odd picks) and Nate Tice (even picks) from Yahoo Sports have the Bears taking Williams at one, but then they have Chicago trading up from nine to six with the Giants to ensure they get Odunze. At nine, the Giants take LSU’s Nabers.

I can’t see Poles moving up for a receiver with both Odunze and Nabers on the board.

• CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco also has Bears going Caleb at one, but he has the Bears passing on Odunze and doing this with their second first round selection.

Round 1 – Pick 9 – Jared Verse EDGE FLORIDA STATE • JR • 6’4” / 260 LBS

The Bears need to add an edge player opposite Montez Sweat. Jared Verse has the speed and power teams love. They could consider offensive line here, but edge makes more sense.

Verse is a direction I could see Poles going. His head coach is still a defensive guy, and with the Keenan Allen trade, they may think edge is their best option.

I’m partial to the Williams-Odunze combo, but what direction would you like to see the Bears go?