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Who the Verified Mock Draft Experts Envision Bears Taking in First Round

There are mock drafts and then there are those made by people who consistently produce accuracy. Here's who those experts say Chicago will select next week.
Gene Chamberlain|
Clemson DT Peter Woods sacks South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Clemson DT Peter Woods sacks South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co Inc SC / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

In April, mock drafts come down as often as rain but with less impact.

Some mock drafts are more equal than others, especially those with proven success records. The Draft Huddle annually conducts a competition to determine a true king of the mock drafters and it can be a place to look for insight about who the Bears will eventually take at No. 25.

However, choosing 25th really does become a crap shoot for the Bears more than last year when they picked 10th.

The Huddle Report does a good job of keeping track of who the most accurate have been both annually and all time, or at least over the last five years. They use a system with points for the right pick by the team and position The name tat stands out above the rest is Jason Boris.

Boris is so accurate that he is an average of 4.0 points better than the next-best mock selector, Brendan Donahue of Sharp Football Analysis, but there is no more than 0.8 points separating any of the other top 76 selectors.

Unfortunately, Boris' thinking for the 25th isn't available as he believes in keeping it to himself until just before the real draft is held. The third-best mock selector is Jared Smola of Draft Sharks and he does the same thing as Boris.

However, five of the top seven from the past five years have released mocks and their thinking for the Bears reflects the total uncertainty at No. 25 as they came up with four different players.

Brendan Donahue

The Sharp Football Analysis mock drafter was 0.8 better than third-ranked Smola the past five years, which indicates a very high level of separation. His pick for the Bears is Missouri defensive end Zion Young.

"The Bears could use some help all along their defensive line. Young, who had better than an 82 grade on both pass rush and run defense per (Pro Football Focus), fits the physical prototype that GM Ryan Poles typically targets," Donahue wrote.

Donahue also points to interest shown in Young by the Bears with meetings, which may or may not mean something based on the lack of meetings they had with last year's draft crop.

Lou Pickney

Pickney had the fourth most accurate mocks and has the Bears filling their starter need at safety with Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. His mock draft is the most recently posted and ran Monday morning.

"While there are plenty of options for the Bears at offensive line and defensive line, McNeil-Warren is a tall safety (6'3 1/2") with a wide wingspan and the capacity to impact the game near the line of scrimmage," Pickney assessed.

Scott Smith

The 4for4.com mock drafter agrees with Pickney about need and talent for the Bears with McNeil-Warren. He also has the safety going to the Bears.

"A 'riser' in the draft process, McNeil-Warren is a hard-hitting safety with surprisingly good range," Smith wrote. "He adds depth and a physical presence to the Bears' secondary."

Russell Brown

He is sixth best over the past five years and rarely posts mocks, but can be found on The Draft Report via Substack. His last pick made for the Bears was prior to free agency and was Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, whose stock is much higher these days than earlier in the run up to the draft.

"When watching Banks play, he’s explosive and plays violent with active hands," Brown wrote in part of his assessment.

Matthew Freedman

The last of the top five most accurate who've posted is Matthew Freedman of Fantasylife.com. It's a name many mocks have come up with at a need spot for the Bears, Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.

"Peter Woods never lived up to his potential in college (5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss), but he's still only 21 years old and was the No. 1 DT in the 2023 recruitment class," Freedman wrote. "At some point, a team will bet on his traits. This feels like the right range in Round 1, and the Bears need more muscle in their interior DL."

Freedman's most recent mock draft is from last week and is a two-round offering. In it, he projects the Bears going wide receiver and edge rusher in Round 2.

Most of the mock drafters tracked by The Huddle Report annually will release more mocks within the next week and Boris' much-anticipated effort.

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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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