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Battling Late First-Round Position an Issue in Bears Mock Draft 3.0

Drafting late in Round 1 costs the Bears shots at a position of need then, but two key trades made help bolster this entire March mock draft.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald runs through defensive line drills at Buckeyes pro day.
Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald runs through defensive line drills at Buckeyes pro day. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It never works to come into the NFL draft shopping for specifics unless you're picking very early in Round 1.

Bears GM Ryan Poles explained it best while speaking about last year's draft, when they took tight end Colston Loveland. It didn't look like a need position but the talent jumped out at them.

At No. 25 in Round 1 this year, it's even more of a grab bag.

"I think if you look at some late (first)-round action, historically I think you want to just stay disciplined with taking good football players," Poles said. "I think you can take a little risk and you can go get a flashy guy that may not be the wiring in terms of culture fit isn’t the right thing to do."

The players there are what Poles describes as "good, hearty football players."

"So, that’s what we’re going to focus on," he said. "I think that will put our team in the best position to be successful."

They have needs, though, and safety is one where the need is for an immediate starter. The trouble with that is many draft projections and mocks have three safeties taken before the 25th pick. Or they have two going early and the third in Round 2.

Trading out of Round 1 from 25 and back to Round 2 can be done, but it requires finding someone who is near the top of the round because there could be many teams seeking a safety early in Round 2.

The defensive tackles and edge rushers expected to be available at No. 25 do not appear to be perfect fits. Some might be boom-or-bust types. Others are the wrong shape and size.

Here's what the draft could look like for the Bears in my mock draft 3.0 for Chicago Bears On SI. It's anything but exciting.

Round 1, No.25

DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

Booor-innng. But he's exactly what they need if they can't draft one of the top three safeties to replace Jaquan Brisker. It's been this way all along. None of the other defensive tackles or edges available in this mock at 25 are going to help the Bears like McDonald would.

Everyone wants that edge with great speed to get around tackles. There won't be one at 25. It’s not even the type of player they want on the edge, anyway. A player like Cashius Howell of Texas A&M won't do at 245 pounds and 6-foot-2. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen uses bigger edge guys and is getting by with on smaller player in Austin Booker. At least Booker is 6-foot-4 and has potential to get bigger and stronger. Plus, he's proven himself. McDonald is a good pick here, as a hearty ballplayer from a great program and he produced as a run stopper. The Bears need this more than anything except a safety as Jaquan Brisker's replacement. But in this mock, all three safeties were gone before the Bears were on the clock at No. 25. It doesn't seem realistic in that regard, and no less an authority than Daniel Jeremiah of NFL media says it isn't realistic, but that was the rub of the green on the mock draft simulator.

Round 2, No. 57

DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State

Tried trading up but there were no takers who didn't want to fleece me so settling in, I realized something about the Bears. If it's true all the top three safeties really could go in Round 1, they're going to be counting on one who isn't chosen with a pick as high as the one they used to take Brisker. There is a safety talent gap after the third one. Dennis-Sutton has a buzz about him now as it seems his stock is rising. At 6-5, 265, he hits the size mandate for Allen. He had 22 sacks the last three seasons and PFF had him for 33 QB hits in that span. The thing the Bears would like is he graded out last year nearly as well against the run as in the pass rush. He's from a school always associated with edge rushers. The simulator ridiculed me for drafting him over Malachi Lawrence. This is a Dennis Allen scheme, and lightweights aren't wanted on the edge.

Trade No. 1

No. 60 in Round 2 to Denver or No. 62 and a fifth-round pick, No. 170

Getting the next best safety will require reaching a bit, so why not gain back extra picks in the process.

Trade No. 2

No. 62 to Arizona with No. 170 to Arizona for No. 65 and No. 143 in Round 5. I flipped the late fifth-round pick just acquired from Denver into an early fifth-round pick, and moved back three more spots to the first pick in Round 3.

Round 3, No. 65

S Kamari Ramsey, USC

This is considered a reach by the simulator but I moved back twice for picks before making it, so tough luck. Ramsey is the next-highest safety on this draft board after the top three. He probably wouldn't have been there at No. 89 and rather than trade back again, and risk losing him, we'll take a player who is 6-foot, 205 and ad a knee injury that limited him to nine games last year. It wasn't a serious situation. He had three interceptions and nine pass breakups in 33 games. He also missed only one tackle last year.

Round 3, No. 89

C Sam Hecht, Kansas State

They were at his pro day, he's highly graded among centers, and they wouldn't be converting a player to play this position like they would with Duke's Brian Parker II. He should be able to back up Garrett Bradbury and even make the move to take McC starting spot at some point. Hecht's great strength is how he's regarded as good at blocking the run as he is the pass. The 6-foot-4, 303-pounder has decent quickness at 5.1 for the 40, a number in the top 20% of all centers ever at the combine per Mockdraftable.com. He's also at 1.73 for his 10-yard split, which is top 16%.

Round 4, No. 129

RB Seth McGowan, Kentucky

Another player they've shown interest in and he's at a position where depth is needed. Roschon Johnson is in a contract year and hasn't been able to stay healthy. Travis Homer left. They can use a back to be ready for the future when they may or may not have D'Andre SWift. McGowan ran 4.49 in the 40 and did the second best vertical leap in history by a back at the combine, at 42 1/2 inches. He played for Kentucky, New Mexico State and Oklahoma, gaining 1,918 yards with 18 TDs in three seasons. He also caught 55 passes for a healthy 604 yards (11.0 yards per catch). This is a back who can contribute in the passing game as well as running it. He was graded by PFF two spots earlier than 129.

Round 5, No. 143

CB Devon Marshall, North Carolina State

Tyrique Stevenson is talking big about coming in ready this year. It's time to hedge that bet. They did draft Zah Frazier last year but no one knows anything about him. He never faced many top receivers at UTSA, Southern Illinois and in junior college. Marshall, meanwhile, is a real find here as a high-effort and highly productive player known as an overachiever type. He has been graded highly by PFF throughout his college career and has four interceptions, but last year broke up an astounding 16 passes to lead Division I and had 23 for his two-year career. He also forced two fumbles.

Round 7, No. 239

LB Eric Gentry USC

A former Caleb Williams teammate who enjoyed an excellent 2024 season but took a step back last year in his run defense. In Round 7, you look for traits and it was hard to overlook a linebacker who is 6-foot-7, even though he needs to add some weight at 221 pounds. Gentry's size nearly broke the charts.

He has an 86 1/4-inch wingspan, which is top 3% of all linebackers in combine history. His height is top 1% and his arm length of 35 inches is top 1%. It would be easy to project Gentry as a possible edge with that size. His 10 1/2-inch hands are top 4%. But his weight, at 221, is bottom 2%. Someone get this guy a sandwich. Gentry is more than a combine wonder. He made five forced fumbles to lead the Big 10 last year. He moved around and made nine career sacks at USC and Arizona State, as well as 27 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He also knocked down 13 passes, which is understandable considering his height and reach. There is a concussion past here that caused him to redshirt in 2024, but he returned in 2025 for his best season.

Round 7, No. 241

T Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Wake Forest

A 6-5, 311-pounder who allowed just two sacks each of the last two seasons as a right tackle. His 33 7/8-inch arms aren't ideal but not too short, either. His 10 5/8-inch hands are to 15% among all combine tackles. Definitely a project type but he does have three years of starting experience.

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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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