Bear Digest

Mock Draft Season Begins for BearDigest

The first BearDigest mock draft for 2022 and the draft for the Bears this year could go in about any direction because a change of both the offensive and defensive systems means different types of players are necessary.
Gene Chamberlain|
Mock Draft Season Begins for BearDigest
Mock Draft Season Begins for BearDigest

In this story:

Georgia BulldogsBaylor BearsNotre Dame Fighting IrishOle Miss RebelsOklahoma SoonersChicago Bears

Mock drafts before all the information is in become a blind draw. 

The combine provides clarity in so many ways. Pro days fill in the gaps. 

It helps, of course, to have the exact order of the draft and the compensatory picks have only been speculated on to this point.  It's good speculation, but speculation nonetheless.

For these reasons and more player-specific ones, it's always better to avoid mock drafts until the championship games/Senior Bowl.

The time has arrived and as usual the first computer simulation throws a curve.  

The mock is performed through the assistance a simulator from FanNation's NFL Draft Bible. 

Here is BearDigest Mock Draft 2022 version 1.0. It's much more interesting with a first-round pick possible, and in future mock drafts trading back or up will be a possibility, but the first mock is always the most basic. 

Besides, Ryan Pace did quite enough trading for everyone and it's time for the new Ryan, Poles, to stand his ground and select instead of giving away picks. 

Trading down to acquire more might even be more acceptable.

39. DT Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

Trying to zero in on receiver help for quarterback Justin Fields in Round 2, the goal was David Bell of Purdue. The curve thrown by the simulator? All receivers worth taking were gone. Bell was long gone, as were almost all the other elite receivers in this draft. Next best at this point was George Pickens of Georgia and haven't the Bears had their fill of Georgia wide receivers at this point? Also, a run on cornerbacks removed many of the best cornerbacks. Somehow, Wyatt slipped through. He owned the competition all week at the Senior Bowl practices, the Bears will likely lose Akiem Hicks and even Bilal Nichols in free agency, and besides all of that Wyatt is an actual three technique at defensive tackle and not a player you'd take to plug two gaps at the line of scrimmage. He attacks. This actually would be an ideal pick for Matt Eberflus to start his 4-3 conversion, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound, relentless, attacking defensive tackle who probably was not a fit for Georgia's system as much as he will be in an aggressive one-gap defensive front like in the 4-3 the Bears will use.

71. CB Jalen Pitre, Baylor

So apparently the Bears will get their receivers in free agency because they would have been better off lining up Cole Kmet at wide receiver than counting on the collection available in Round 3 of this mock draft. Cornerback was a tremendously weak spot last year. The Bears finished last in the NFL in passer rating against (103.3). This seemed impossible three years earlier, when they led the league. Pitre is not a classic cornerback but is a spectacular playmaker in the "star" position of the Baylor defense. He is 6-foot, 197 pounds and might be best used as the slot cornerback but could even play strong safety. The Bears can use either position. Like with Wyatt, he had scouts' eyes popping out of their heads with highlight plays at the Senior Bowl. Guaranteed: He will make plays on the ball. The Bears do need a middle linebacker and Chad Muma was available in this round of the simulation but it seems more important to get a cornerback who makes interceptions in order to insure the Bears won't finish with only one cornerback interception for a third straight season. There are some who question whether Pitre has the speed to play defensive back in the NFL because he played a unique position for Baylor, but he plays fast. And this is what Matt Eberflus said is the type of player they need.

146. G Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma

They could be losing James Daniels and no one really knows what Poles even thinks of their line talent. He seems to be a bit of a savant in judging linemen, though. So it's likely they'll have to add offensive line help, and Hayes was graded a round and a half higher than this spot. It's more than likely he is actually a fifth- or sixth-round pick. Hayes is about the size Daniels is now, 6-4 1/2, 328. The Bears added about 20 pounds to Daniels.  A more mobile guard would be ideal here, as this is not judged as one of Hayes' strengths. But he was very effective standing his ground in pass rush and also very dependable as a short-yardage blocker. The Bears have needed to get better in this area for years.

148. WR Dontario Drummond, Mississippi

He almost was the pick at No. 144 but the lack of top-end speed prevented it. What Drummond does have are excellent hands and an ability to go over the middle. He can take big hits while holding the ball. Allen Robinson ran only a 4.6 in the combine 40-yard dash. Drummond might be in that range. He is built a bit like Robinson, who is 6-2, 220. Drummond is 6-1 1/2, 220. He was deployed all over the field, catching passes out of the slot and even lining up sometimes at tight end. A junior college transfer, he finally got the chance to make an impression in his final season and did it with 76 receptions for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns.  Ideally the Bears would get an X-receiver with real speed but the situation presented in this mock offered nothing of the sort.

185. C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame

Replace one Notre Dame center with another. At least there will be a symmetry.  It might keep the Irish fans from griping about dumping Sam Mustipher, then.  Mustipher's blocking brought him in again at the low end of Pro Football Focus rankings, and the Bears need a center who can win rather than merely hold defensive linemen in check. It's part of the reason for their failures in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He was graded a full round higher than where he was selected. Patterson is a mobile center and reportedly never allowed a sack at Notre Dame. He is very adept at snapping in the shotgun. NFL Draft Bible's assessment of the 6-4, 305-pounder's play called him capable of becoming a Pro Bowl center throughout his career. The Bears actually had a Pro Bowl center, but they decided to play him at guard. That's Cody Whitehair. Patterson will need to add more weight and strength but at this point in the draft he was far better than any other option. It would be good to have a center with ability to go second level to help spring running backs instead of relying on guards or a tackle all of the time.

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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