Bear Digest

Mock Draft Finale Answers Bears Needs

It's difficult to find a need the Bears fail to address in this finale of BearDigest's mock drafts for 2023.
Gene Chamberlain|
Mock Draft Finale Answers Bears Needs
Mock Draft Finale Answers Bears Needs

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Chicago Bears

All Bears draft simulations seem to come down to either Jalen Carter falling to No. 9, or a starting offensive tackle coming to Chicago.

It looks like this in the real draft, as well.

If anything else develops it will be a bit of a surprise, although no one can discount an edge rusher, if it's Tyree Wilson or Will Anderson II dropping in Round 1.

The needs are known and with less than a week remaining it's time for the final BearDigest mock draft, version. 7.0.

This mock is not a trading mock. There's no way to predict such things anyway, and through most of the mock drafts trades have been allowed. 

Trading time is over. It's time to stand up at the podium and pick the best player-fit available at the slot handed to the Bears.

The needs remain the same: defensive end, defensive tackle, tackle, cornerback and safety. Toss in a running back with speed and they'd be good to go.

With all this, the Bears are on the clock in mock draft 7.0 for BearDigest.

Round 1, No. 9T

T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State

Without Carter falling, and with no trades involved, the Bears will want that athletic right tackle. It comes down to Peter Skoronski and Johnson, and frankly they'd be drastically improved with either. 

Johnson's got the higher ceiling with arms almost 4 inches longer. At first, some edge rushers could probably take advantage of Johnson more because his technique isn't as sound as Skoronski's. But as he fits into the position, he'll be better equipped to handle any edge rusher. There has been plenty of talk about Darnell Wright popping up on Bears radar as a true right tackle but ninth is a bit of a reach for a player some project as fourth tackle in the draft. It's Johnson, a fast, athletic and fierce blocker who already knows his quarterback, Justin Fields.

Round 2, No. 53

DE Keion White, Georgia Tech

Thinking center or cornerback here because many mocks say there might be a drop in the quality of edge rushers by No. 50. Instead, for some reason in this mock White falls to the Bears. He is their ideal size for an edge at 6-5 and 285, a player who can also move inside in pass rushing situations, which is alway a plus to Matt Eberlfus. White is explosive and was athletic enough that he started out as a tight end at Old Dominion before transferring. He lacks experience so his technique needs refinement.

Round 2, No. 61

DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

Between Benton and White, they had 24 tackles for loss this past season alone. Benton will have the ability to play both the three technique and the one. At 6-3 1/2, 309, his hand usage and power make for a high rate of disruption against the run, and the Bears were a miserable run defense last year. The new free agent linebackers will work in well playing off him.

Round 3, No. 64

CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami

It's either a cornerback or center here, and at last look they have people lined up on the roster now who can play center but they're using Kindle Vildor as a starting cornerback. So Stevenson is a fit, a 6-foot, 198-pound outside cornerback who runs 4.45 in the 40. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compares him to James Bradberry. If they can get a cornerback who compares to Bradberry, then they need him more than another center. The problem here was if you pass on a center now, the best might be gone by the next pick in Round 4. Stevenson fits as a starting left corner with Kyler Gordon moving inside to slot, where he worked a big part of last year.

Round 4, No. 103

DT Karl Brooks, Bowling Green

Classified as an end by some but that's for a 3-4. The Bears would use this 6-3 1/2, 303-pound relentless pass rusher at three technique. He was graded sixth-best defensive tackle by Pro Football Focus for this draft. He lacks the arm length to be out on the edge in a 4-3. He's very adept with his hands and one scouting assessment called him unblockable in the MAC last year. If a player is going to be at a lower level, he needs to dominate. Brooks did.

Round 4, No. 133

CB Riley Moss, Iowa

A college cornerback who everyone sees switching to safety because he isn't perceived as good enough in man coverage. The Bears play zone most of the time so they could try him at both positions. He missed three games with a knee sprain last year but still had four interceptions and has returned three interceptions for touchdowns. Patience, intelligence and good speed are a good combination at cornerback or safety. He is a ballhawk with 11 career interceptions, and coach Matt Eberflus loves ballhawks.

Round 5, No. 136

RB Israel Abanikanda, Pitt

It was almost a criminal act to see a back with this much speed dropping to No. 136. He's more a speed back than dancer, so he'll fit better in this one-cut style behind the wide zone blocking the Bears use. NFL Draft Bible rates him No. 6 back in the draft so getting him late in Round 4 or early Round 5 is a coup. At 5-10, 216, he has the size to start, but couldn't run the 40 at the combine due to a hamstring injury. Then he was reported in the 4.3s at a pro day. He wasn't much of a receiver in college because they didn't use him that way. He'd have to learn it in the NFL.

Round 5, No. 148

S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame

The former Northwestern safety who played a year for Notre Dame falls right in an area of the draft where the Bears could be looking to add safety help. Labeled not particularly fast at 4.6 in the 40, some assessments say the 6-2, 202-pounder has the ability to be a slot cornerback besides safety because he reads quarterbacks well. NFLDB calls him a "ball magnet."

Round 7, No. 218

C Alex Forsyth, Oregon

Not the early center prospect some would like but as said, they have plenty of center candidates and he can develop more this way. Forsyth started out a guard and tackle and became a center in his only college year as a starter. So at the least, he adds position versatility and athleticism at 6-4, 303.

Round 7, No. 258

QB Malik Cunningham, Louisville

If you're going to have a great running QB starting, why not also have one who can back him up? Cunningham's passing sure needs work but in the tradition of Louisville QBs, he definitely can run. He's so good at it, the Bears might want to get some packages where he and Justin Fields go on the field at the same time. At 5-11, 192, he ran 4.53 in the 40. He ran for 3,179 yards in college on 618 carries, but also threw for 9,660.

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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