This will be the first Bears’ mock draft of a few I’ll work on leading up to the April 2022 draft. Feel free to let me know of any key players available that would seem a better fit for the Bears.
Methodology
I will be running various mock draft simulations to get an idea of which players will be available when the Bears are on the clock. In this article, I’ll take a look at some key positions of need to be addressed during the draft, and then keep those in mind as I look into which players I think would be the best available picks for the Bears.
I will factor in the level of need for each position, but I typically believe in a “best player available” type of approach. Depth is paramount in today’s NFL, and sometimes the best pick will solidify a position, rather than fill a need.
The Bears’ 2022 NFL Draft Picks
The biggest bummer going into 2022 is that the Bears do not have a first-round pick. They traded it to the Giants to move up for Justin Fields. I still have high hopes for Fields, but it is always painful to watch the best talent get drafted when your team isn’t a part of that.
That being said, the Bears currently have the 39th (2nd Round), 73rd (3rd Round), 146th (5th Round), 148th (5th Round), and188th (6th Round) picks. The positions they need most are WR, IOL, EDGE, LB, and CB. I am looking for the Bears to take the best available players at these positions in particular. Further, I will be looking at the relative value of players as well. If a player is ranked significantly higher than the Bears’ pick, I am going to be enticed by getting a steal.
Pick 39 (Round 2) – George Pickens, WR/Georgia
Allen Robinson is a free agent after this year, and I think the Bears will move on. George Pickens is a great option for them early in the second round to fill that void. At 6’3” Pickens has great height to win 50/50 catches. The downside is that he looks a bit thin, and it’s hard to predict how he’ll do against the physical corners in the NFL.
I still think Pickens can thrive when he gets to the pros. He can make catches all over the field. His highlights include several deep balls, quick comeback routes, and a fair amount of over-the-middle slants. However, my favorite catches of his are his sideline possession receptions. Pickens seemed to almost always create enough space to be open and was always aware of where the sideline was. He is very quick off the line, and this will help him create space in the NFL. Pickens attacks the ball to make catches with his hands, not his body and makes a ton of contested catches. I think the Bears are looking to get younger and more versatile going into next season. Justin Fields will have a chance to continue to build chemistry with Darnell Mooney, and Pickens will be a nice complimentary option as he develops.
Pick 73 (Round 3) – Nik Bonitto, EDGE/Oklahoma
Bonitto is an undersized EDGE by NFL standards, but he has the speed and athleticism to overcome that deficiency. He is lightning-quick off the line and is fundamentally sound with his hands. Bonitto also has the playmaking intangibles that are a huge boon to opportunistic defenses.
I think this Bears’ defense is poised for a big season in 2022, and Bonitto should slot in nicely. I believe they need to get a little younger at the EDGE position, and Bonitto will be a nice complement to Roquan Smith and Khalil Mack. In watching some of his highlights, Bonitto has my favorite edge-rusher trait. He has a continuous motor. If he is not involved with the play initially, he will be. This is something you cannot teach, and the Bears will benefit greatly from having him on their defense next season.
Pick 146 (Round 5) – Josh Jobe, CB/Alabama
While some may think it’s a con, I love that Josh Jobe will be 24 when he enters the NFL. I think there is something to be said for the maturity that a senior graduate can bring mentally into the NFL.
The cornerback position is one where you can never have enough depth, and Jobe will be a welcome addition to the Bears’ secondary. He is a physical corner, which can get him into some trouble with penalties, but with his size, he’ll be able to hang tough with large NFL wideouts. In coverage, he seemed capable of keeping pace with receivers, while also getting his head turned around to look for the ball. He may not be an elite talent, but I think he is the complete package.
Pick 148 (Round 5) – Leo Chenal, LB/Wisconsin
Chenal is a “monster of the MIDDLEway.” See what I did there? I’m not looking at Chenal to be an every-down player, but I think he is a great value pick for the Bears at this stage of the draft. He can stop the run and rush the passer up the gut. I can see him in on specific packages for the Bears to really solidify the middle of their defense.
I did not, however, see a lot of highlights of him playing in coverage or anywhere near the outside of the field. I’m not saying he isn’t capable, but he would need to prove it. My point is, I think he is a good specialty player that brings tenacity and consistency to a defense. Every NFL team needs players like Chenal, even if he isn’t on the field for all defensive snaps.
Pick 188 (Round 6) – Chris Paul, IOL/Tulsa
The Bears got both Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom in the draft last season. Both still have the potential to be starting tackles in the NFL, so I don’t think the Bears will draft another tackle unless he is a complete steal.
I like the idea of Tulsa IOL Chris Paul. He played RT in college, but in looking around online, some sites are labeling him as a guard in the NFL. Either way, I think the Bears can take a flyer on him late in the draft. If Borom or Jenkins falters, then they’ll have a big player in Paul who has experience at tackle. Otherwise, he can provide depth until he develops. In watching the film, he seemed very competent as a pass blocker, but a bit too slow as a run blocker. He definitely has the physical tools, but will for sure need some technique improvements.
Disclaimers
Please keep in mind this is my mock draft #1 for the Bears. Players will move up and down in the rankings quite a bit before the actual NFL draft. So far, each of the players I have discussed above has been within a few rankings of the Bears’ picks, so I’m relatively confident they’ll be available. For example, in a couple of mock drafts I’ve run, the Giants took George Pickens. I do not believe the Giants are looking for a WR as a second-round priority.
I don’t see the Bears executing meaningful trades in this draft. Their first pick is 39th overall, and it would be hard for them to move up. Further, this (at least initially) does not appear to be a draft to have generational, top-end talent. In researching the players, I think the Bears would be best served to look at balancing positions of need with value. For example, the Josh Jobe pick. The Bears appear to be able to get him at 146, even though I’ve seen his ranking as high as 127.
Stay tuned for more mock drafts as we look toward April!
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[…] is time for my Bears mock draft 2.0. If you haven’t checked out my first mock, you can do so here. In addition to seeing how things have changed, it will also explain a bit about why I don’t […]