Bears Go for Blocking Help in Round 1
The problem facing the Bears in this and most drafts is meeting need to talent available.
The Bears have real needs on the offensive line, at defensive end and at three-technique defensive tackle, but because GM Ryan Poles traded away their second-round pick to Pittsburgh for Chase Claypool it's going to be difficult to marry up all the needs with the highest quality on their first three picks.
It really could devolve into best athletic available in Round 2, as the cliche goes.
It has been called a strong draft year at all of those positions the Bears need, but the elite quality talent only lasts so long.
The gap between No. 9 overall and their pick No. 53 is likely going to mean missing out on one of the better defensive tackles or defensive ends, if the Bears opt for a tackle first. If they take a defensive end first, the tackle quality is going to drop in Round 2 but perhaps not by as much.
The tackle talent at ninth overall appears too special to pass on, whether they take Peter Skoronski of Northwestern or Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr.
The only way for the Bears to make sure they get one of the top defensive tackles with their second pick if they go for an offensive tackle with the first pick is by dealing down in Round 1 again to get extra picks or by dealing up into late Round 1 by moving either 53 or 61 or 64 in a trade.
So with BearDigest mock draft 5.0, the Bears choose the second option.
Cincinnati took the Bears' 53rd pick in Round 2 and their 64th pick to start Round 3 in a trade, and let the Bears have the 28th pick in Round 1.
The deal works out on the value chart.
This guarantees a better quality defensive tackle with the second pick and a quality tackle with the first pick. It also means a less talented edge rusher would need to come later—as it turned out even later than desired.
The other way to do this would simply have been to draft a defensive tackle first.
Jalen Carter wasn't there at No. 9 in this mock and it doesn't seem a good Bears fit now anyway, after all of the revelations about the crash in Georgia and his conditioning or lack thereof at his pro day.
However, if you watch some of these mock drafts being conducted lately, defensive tackles Calijah Kancey and Adetomiwa Adebawore are surging after their combine workouts. On some mocks, Kancey has reached as high as 13th in Round 1.
It would be worth trading down for the Bears with Washington and drafting Kancey at No. 16 if he is this good, and then getting extra picks elsewhere. Unfortunately, the simulator here wouldn't let that trade work out.
So the Bears are on the clock at No. 9 in BearDigest Mock Draft 5.0, the post-free agency version.
Round 1, No. 9
T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
They didn't time Johnson in the 40 but didn't need to because he moves like a cat. His 36-1/8 inch arms and 85-1/8 inch wingspan combine with athleticism to make him a Day 1 starter at right tackle. Mockdraftable.com likens him to D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Jawaan Taylor in terms of his measurables. He looks more athletic than both. They could simply take Skoronski and not be worse for the choice but the ideal tackle fit with Johnson makes him the pick.
Round 1, No. 28
DT Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
Kancey went 20th in this mock to Seattle and the Seahawks still needed a defensive tackle because they passed on Carter, allowing the Lions to draft him. That won't be a fun thought for the Bears if it happens. With no Kancey, the next-best option was Adebawore, by far the fasted 280-pounder in the history of the combine at 4.49 seconds. With him, the Bears have someone who could line up at end or tackle, just like with free agent acquisition DeMarcus Walker.
Quarterbacks will be on the move against an improved Bears pass rush, especially on the interior.
No. 61, Round 2
C Luke Wypler, Ohio State
Well, the Bears don't get Justin Fields Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but they get him two Buckeye blockers. They can use a center because current plans are to switch Cody Whitehair there. It's kind of regressive since he played there already. Wypler is one of the top three centers in a good draft for centers. The reason he was the choice: No edge rushers or cornerbacks on the draft board met this spot in terms of grade. They weren't even close. All the better ones had been taken. At 6-3, 303 pounds, Wypler is the type of mobile center the Bears covet for their blocking scheme.
Round 4, No. 103
DL Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Another of these defensive end/three technique types. Brooks has played between 280 and 290. Pro Football Focus gave him a 2022 overall grade of 93.0, which is superb. He had an impressive 81.1 in 2021. Bowling Green lined up the 6-foot-4 lineman over the tackle or outside the tackle 90% of the time, but several scouting reports suggest he will only be a three technique in the NFL.
Round 4, No. 133
DE Ya Ya Diaby, Louisville
More of a traditional defensive end/outside linebacker who can rush the passer. He turned in a 4.51-second 40 and had a 37-inch vertical leap. The 40 time is top 4% for defensive linemen and 37-inch leap top 14%. Last year they turned him loose full time as a starting defensive end and he made nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Round 5, No. 136
S Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State
Wanting a cornerback here but the Ohio State quality at safety was too hard to pass up. The Bears do need a safety, whether anyone wants to admit it. They haven't signed DeAndre Houston-Carson and there have been plenty of rosy pictures painted about the season seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks had last year but those are stretching the imagination. Hicks had a 158.3 passer rating against when targeted. In case you're not up on stats, a 158.3 is the best a quarterback can do in efficiency ratings. So Hick had the worst possible score when targeted. He gave up two touchdown passes, too, in very limited snaps. His real contribution was special teams. So the Bears do need a safety and even if they do sign DHC this 6-1, 205-pounder fits the job with three interceptions in 28 games.
Round 5, No. 148
CB Kei'Trel Clark, Louisville
A slot cornerback type who is very undersized and speedy at 5-10, 181 pounds. He ran a 4.42-second 40 and had a wicked 1.49-second split for 10 yards at the combine. That ranked in the top 11% of all cornerbacks. The concern with a smaller player is always injury and tackling ability and he does need to work on technique but would project well in the slot. If he worked out, it would let the Bears put Kyler Gordon outside, where he played well at the end of last season.
Round 7, No. 218
QB Aidan O'Connell, Purdue
This one will open some eyes but it's not an attempt to supplant Justin Fields. The value here was far too great to pass on and, in fact, this pick wsa graded as A+ at No. 218. That's because he had a late third-round grade for the draft and was here in Round 7. So the Bears get a project backup QB to work behind back PJ Walker. O'Connell is 6-3, 213 and completed 66.7% of his throws for 9,219 yards and 65 TDs with 30 interceptions. He has an arm and is more of the traditional pocket passer.
Round 7, No. 258
RB Tiyon Evans, Louisville
He is roughly David Montgomery's size, at 5-9 1/2, 225 pounds and faster with a 4.52-second 40 time. Evans blends speed and power but as a Tennessee transfer who had only one season for the Cardinals, he played in just eight games and averaged 6.3 yards per carry with six TDs last year. He was leading Tennesee in rushing in 2021 before an ankle injury. For the Vols in 2021, he averaged 6.5 yards a carry and had six TDs with 525 yards on 81 carries.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
