Bears 2024 Mock Draft 1.0 for BearDigest

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It’s the topic of debate, even arguments throughout Bears nation if not the full NFL.

Will the Bears trade that top pick of the draft again?

You won’t get the answer here in the first mock draft of 2024 by BearDigest.

There is no trading allowed in the first mock draft, as it’s more intended for introducing draft needs and potential ways to address them.

However, those mocks with trades will follow version 1.0.

The Bears have the chance to take a quarterback who has been labeled the top one in this draft since early in the 2022 college season.

Considering how they haven’t been able to establish a consistent passing game even with DJ Moore available and piling up career highs for receptions, yards and touchdowns, it would seem unlikely they could turn down this opportunity.

The Bears are on the clock for 2024 BearDigest Mock Draft 1.0 and it’s not surprising where they’ll turn first.

Round 1

No. 1: Caleb Williams, USC

A big-play machine on planned plays or off-script, Williams completed 66.9% of his passes for 9.2 yards an attempt for USC and Oklahoma. In his final two seasons for USC he was at 67.5% and threw for 72 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. That’s 26 total games, not 34 games like in the NFL, and he still had 72 TD passes. He played 11 games at Oklahoma for former Sooners coach Lincoln Riley before Riley went to USC and he followed his coach to the west coast. For the Sooners he completed 64.5% with 21 TDs. All told, he had 93 TD passes and 14 interceptions for 10,082 yards in 37 games. While Williams doesn’t run like Fields, he did gain 966 yards on 289 attempts for 27 TDs. Fields had 1,133 yards rushing in college for three less games and had eight fewer TDs on runs than the 6-foot-1, 218-pound Williams.

No. 9: DE Dallas Turner, Alabama

This 6-4, 251-pound edge rusher only earned a B+ for a pick when most first-rounders will at least get an A- from the simulator’s grader. He was graded only 14th in Round 1 but he fills a real need for another sack threat off the edge to complement Montez Sweat. He isn’t just a pass rusher as he had 32 1/2 tackles for loss with the Crimson Tide to go with his 22 1/2 career sacks in three seasons. When the pick came up, the choice was either Turner, Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu and Illinois three technique defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton. Having seen a great many Illini games, it was never obvious he was impacting the game. Plus there were some other good Illini players up front with him. Fashanu is playing a position where the Bears could use an upgrade over Braxton Jones, who isn’t bad, but not an upgrade at the expense of getting a legitimate young edge rusher.

Round 3

No. 75: S Javon Bullard, Georgia

The first of a series of Bulldogs who were drafted, mostly by chance. The draft board fell that way. How many times we heard a Bears GM say this. The pick earned only a C+ grade mainly because the simulator doesn’t do its homework. This is a Bears position of need and he wasn’t a big reach here as he was the 78th-graded player. The reason it’s a position of need is the Bears are very unlikely to bring back Eddie Jackson at the huge salary he has, especially after his fifth season in six with an average for missed tackles in double figures (17.8%). Backup Elijah Hicks isn’t really a starting type, although he improved greatly during six starts with Jackson or Jaquan Barkley out. Bullard is 5-11, 195, needs to add a bit of weight but is an effective hitter for his size and plays the ball or down in the box. He had four interceptions and eight pass defenses for his Bulldogs career.

Round 4

No. 110: C Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

A player many have graded well above the fourth round is still there for the Bears. At 6-4, 310, he can be a blocker in wide zone or gap scheme but probably isn’t as fast as some centers could be. He’s capable of playing guard, too. The Bears have lacked a center who can do everything for them since possibly 2019 and Van Pran gives them a chance for one in the future. It will take a while for him to get at a developmental level where he can be calling the blocking assignment adjustments. They may need to bring in a veteran center for a while to start first. A selection that earned a B+ from the simulator.

No. 122: WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia

The third in a row from Georgia. There were several ways to go here including defensive tackle, but they need receiver help for the new quarterback and you don’t want to wait until after the fourth round because then it’s a real crap shoot. Rosemy-Jacksaint was easily the best wide receiver available at this point. At 6-2, 200, he needs to get a bit stronger for the NFL and Georgia didnt really throw enough to anyone including him. He had 74 career catches but did average 15.4 yards a catch in his final season. He also had four TD catches his final season.

Round 5

No. 146: WR Moose Muhammad III, Texas A&M

It’s a reach here to take him according to the simulator, since he was graded about 25 spots later. Who cares. If you can’t reach for a player you want on a simulation, what’s the point of having the computer? Of course it’s that Moose Muhammad, the son of the wide receiver who had fans at Soldier Field chanting “Moose,” which sounded like boos, during the run to Super Bowl XLI. Also, he’s the son of the receiver who came up with the gem, “Chicago is where wide receivers go to do.” So it’s only cosmic justice that his son should come here too. Muhammad has skills the Bears can use with great hands and ability to run routes well. He’s probably a bit smaller than his father at 6-1, 200. Senior was 6-2, 215.

The simulator hasn’t been told the Bears no longer have sixth- or seventh-round picks and they are listed. The Bears are projected not to receive any compensatory picks by NFL.com. So this is it, your Bears draft class, one with the No. 1 pick in the NFL.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven