Bear Digest

Best Bears Calls from the Best

The most accurate mock drafters make their predictions on who the Bears will select at No. 9 in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Gene Chamberlain|
Best Bears Calls from the Best
Best Bears Calls from the Best

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Mock draft's are like opinions—everyone's got one.

Google mock draft and you'll get all of western civiliation volunteering who they believe will be drafted by each NFL team.

So which of these mock drafts are most reliable if you're looking at it from the viewpoint of a particular team that plays by a certain lake in a certain city that ends in h-i-c-a-g-o?

There are a few ways to find out.

One is at The Huddle Report, a website running for 20 years. They track the most accurate mock drafts over the past five years, and also last year. It can be a good indication of what a team is taking. Another is a competition conducted by Fantasypros.com.

Matthew Jones of Fantasy Pros and the Draft Examiner rates No. 1 over the past five years according to the Huddle Report. Ben Standig of The Athletic, Forrest N. Long of The Huddle Report and Ron Stewart of Just Talkin Ball tied for the top spot in 2022.

Here's what the top mockers tracked by The Huddle Report are saying for the Bears.

The Huddle Report

Matthew Jones 

T Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

Jones, from the Draft Examiner, earlier had Jalen Carter falling all the way to the Bears in a mock done at the end of March, mainly because he saw the Seahawks stunning everyone and drafting Anthony Richardson. It left Carter with clear path to the Bears. He has since posted an updated mock this week with the Bears going for blocking.

Brendan Donahue

T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Donahue is with Sharp Football Analysis and is ranked second in mock draft accuracy over the last five years. He apparently thinks the Bears are bluffing about taking Carter because he sees the Georgia defensive tackle availalble in a mock draft from April 12 but the Eagles take him at No. 10 and the Bears pass to get Justin Fields blocking help.

Eddie Brown

T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Brown is with the San Diego Union-Tribune and has the next most accurate mock draft over the last five years. His lastest mock posted last week also has Johnson going to the Bears and he figures there's plenty of time in the draft to look later for Ryan Poles to seek defensive help.

"Let's keep the party going for Fields and find him another player who will help make his job even easier—Poles has addressed the defense in free agency and will continue to do so throughout Anthe draft," Brown wrote.

Ryan McCrystal

Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Another mock drafter from Sharp Football Analysis, McCrystal is always in the running for most accurate mock drafts, it seems. He has the Bears ignoring Lukas Vank Ness and Peter Skoronski to take Johnson in his most recent mock.

Ben Standig

T Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

The Athletic's Standig tied for the title of top 2022 mock drafts, and in his last mock posted he also has the Bears thinking tackle. But it's for Skoronski. If the Bears are thinking and hoping Carter falls to them, they'd come away from this mock awfully disappointed because he made it all the way to No. 8 before the Falcons took him one spot ahead of their pick. Standig's mocks have been the eighth-most accurate over the past five years.

Ron Stewart

Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Youtuber Ron Stewart was in the three-way tie for best mock last year and has them drafting Johnson.

Forrest N. Long

Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

The Huddle Report's very own self-proclaimed two-time mock draft world champion has the Bears taking Johnson, as well. Carter goes No. 5 so that wasn't a consideration. Long's titles include tying for last year's mock draft title.

Fantasy Pro Competition

Fantasypros.com tracks mocks for accuracy in a different way, giving points for correct draft slots for players, rank within position players drafted and positions each team selects.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer won the competition last year but does not yet have a full mock draft out, or at least one that goes until the Bears picking at No. 9.

Charlie Campbell

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

On Walterfootball.com, Campbell has the Bears thinking Carter but taking tackle.

"The Bears might have a shot at Jalen Carter, but even if he doesn't slide to them, landing a left tackle to help protect Fields is a good value and upgrade," he wrote.

Anthony Staggs

DT Jalen Carter, Georgia

Staggs, of "4-for-4," took third behind Breer and Campbell last year in this competition. His pick was Cater, but it came almost a month ago. So an updated mock by Staggs could change things.

"Carter would provide the Bears with an interior force that is so important in Matt Eberflus’ scheme that was at its best with DeForest Buckner at his height," Staggs wrote when making his Bears pick.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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