BearDigest.com Mock Draft 2.0: A Bears QB Who Gets It Done

The Senior Bowl doesn't make a great difference in opinions about the upper echelon of players available in the NFL draft.

However, some of those trying to move up in scouts' eyes can sway decision makers with their performances.

The first Chicago Bears mock draft from BearDigest.com came more than a week prior to the Senior Bowl and produced undesirable and unrealistic results due to the computer simulator.

So mock draft 2.0, the post-Senior Bowl version, has switched to the self-proclaimed numbers people in the business for more realism. That would be Pro Football Focus. The PFF draft simulator came up with a more logical dispersal of talent but also with its own share of problems, such as the famed or infamous PFF grading system and perceived team needs.

No. 20 in Round 1

The simulator at No. 20 overall allowed me to select quarterback Mac Jones of Alabama for the Bears.

Jones' senior year earned him a 95.8 grade from PFF, No. 1 of all 141 quarterbacks considered.

Expecting Jones to go as the picks wound down, I had my eye on Kadarius Toney of Florida and Minnesota's Rashod Bateman. Surprisingly, both went just before Jones.

The interesting aspect of using PFF's model is it grades your picks and overall draft which, of course, is based on their perception of the player and the team's needs. The perceived team needs was probably the biggest problem, and it indicated PFF needs to do its homework on the Bears.

Mac Jones with a 10 cent throw

pic.twitter.com/gs6oIrA7Rz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 28, 2021

PFF gave me an A+ for this pick, which is probably accurate because Jones has been rising despite not being able to play in the Senior Bowl after a reported ankle injury during the practice week prior to the game.

No. 52 in Round 2

In Round 2, a real receiver need for the Bears was met when I selected Amon-Ra St. Brown from Southern Califormia.

A slot receiver with excellent quickness, St. Brown is the brother of Green Bay's Equanimeous St. Brown and several scouts have called his playing speed much quicker than his timing speed. How they could be certain of this is unknown because there is no combine and USC hasn't held its pro day. So who knows? Maybe he'll time just fine.

To make the pick, I decided against a pair of available cornerbacks, Jevon Holland of Oregon and Northwestern's Greg Newsome II, as well as two other choices most others would have made: Michigan tackle Jalen Mayfield and Ohio State slot cornerback Shaun Wade.

The Bears need to become more dangerous at the slot receiver spot. They need more speed and breakaway ability. Anthony Miller's future is uncertain in Chicago. The need appeared greater at receiver.

Mac Jones with a 10 cent throw

pic.twitter.com/gs6oIrA7Rz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 28, 2021

No. 83 in Round 3

According to PFF, the Bears' biggest needs are quarterback, tackle and guard. Wide receiver and slot cornerback are not listed. They need to do their homework.

Guard is well addressed with starters Cody Whitehair and James Daniels, along with backup Alex Bars. Last year Bars showed he was capable of being a starter. They also have their two seventh-round picks from last year, Lachavious Simmons and Arlington Hambright. Hambright showed enough to get one start when COVID-19 struck others on the line, and Simmons was slated to be active in a game with Tennessee when he showed up on the COVID-19 list.

So in Round 3 slot cornerback, safety and tackle remained big needs but none of the tackles or cornerbacks available had grades close to Paris Ford, the Pitt safety who played part of last season and then opted out. So he was selected at No. 83 overall.

The Bears have one safety under contract and Eddie Jackson is coming off a down season, possibly his worst in the league. So getting a more permanent partner for him in the secondary is important. Pitt's safety made six interceptions over the last two seasons and is a flashy, effective big-play type. His only problem is being a bit undersized to be tackling much in the box.

No. 165 in Round 5

The Bears lack a fourth-round pick this year because they dealt it last year to get the fifth-round pick they used to select edge rusher Trevis Gipson of Tulsa. It's an awful long time and there are plenty of talented players going off the board between 83 and 165 in Round 5, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Bears trading down in the real draft from 83 to get two picks, but it would depend on the quality available.

So the tackle need seemed likely to go unaddressed but after the long wait from 83 to pick No. 165 in Round 5, a break occurred. Larry Borom from Missouri was available in Round 5 and I selected him as a right tackle to eventually replace Bobby Massie and/or Germain Ifedi.

Borom has had surprisingly high scouting reports to be sitting at No. 165. He is 6-foot-6 and 332 pounds and is an ideal size for a right tackle. He also has the foot quickness similar to what a left tackle would need.

Jack Borowsky of NFL Draft Bible said of Borom: "It was shocking that he was not getting national attention with this type of skill-set."

Mizzou OT Larry Borom isn't getting much buzz among the public, but that won't stay for long. Can play all positions along the line but Center.

Massive 6'6", 340 lb guy that moves way too well for his size. Also has great power and moves people. Gonna be a good NFL player. pic.twitter.com/2QJ0CTfFcx
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) January 30, 2021

The next BearDigest mock draft will take it the full seven rounds.

Hopefully it can produce a result at the top of the draft like this one, because the A+ grade for Jones was enough to carry this draft to an overall score of B+ from the people at PFF.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven