Hype Over Bears Pick Has Only Just Begun

To the countless observers who do mock drafts or simply watch the NFL draft, the Bears are going to select Alabama defensive end Will Anderson Jr. with the first pick.

To those who analyze football, cover the team itself or simply watch pro football with a magnifying glass, the pick isn't as simple and it could very well be Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

To those who expect a trade down by the Bears, and not just a small drop, it could be anyone from Clemson's edge rusher Myles Murphy to Northwestern tackle Peter offensive Skoronski.

And then to the tiny number of conspiracy theorists and also some website operators who get paid by the clicks, it could be a quarterback because anything scandalous like trading away Justin Fields generates interest.

The consensus among 295 mock drafts on the Internet as of Monday is available on nflmockdraftdatabase.com. Anderson at No. 1 to the Bears is at 82% popularity.

The only other consensus higher than this or even close in percentage is the 86% for quarterback Bryce Young as Houston Texans pick at No. 2.

BearDigest projects a trade down to draft Carter, most likely at No. 4. It's becoming a trend for this because it only makes the most sense.

BEAR DIGEST MOCK DRAFT 2.0 for CHICAGO BEARS

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer isn't necessarily suggesting a trade down but is saying Carter will be their pick at No. 1.

"I've heard him compared to Fletcher Cox," Breer wrote Monday. "I've heard him compared to Ndamukong Suh. He has that kind of potential, and in this case would give Chicago’s GM and coach a familiar baseline to build off on defense."

Fan Nation's NFL Draft Bible puts a vote in for the sack agent, Mr. Anderson.

Wrote the NFL Draft Bible staff: "He is one of the most twitchy and fastest pass-rushers that we’ve seen come off the edge in quite some time. His ability to convert speed to power, along with his bend and athleticism, enables him to use an array of moves to get to the quarterback."

Carter is predicted as the Bears pick by CBS' Ryan Wilson and Kyle Stackpole, while Josh Edwards sees Anderson, and Chris Trapasso envisions a trade way down with Carolina at No. 9 and Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee coming to Chicago.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has them taking Carter No. 1 and writes "I'm sure the Bears would love to trade out of this pick. If that option isn’t available—or the offers fail to meet their asking price—Carter would be an immediate difference-maker on all three downs."

Meanwhile, NFL.com's Bucky Brooks sees it the other way, for Anderson.

"Head coach Matt Eberflus needs a disruptive edge rusher to make his version of the Tampa 2 defense work."

Dane Brugler of the Athletic says the Bears trade back to No. 4 and take Carter, and come away with the Colts' No. 4 pick and their No. 35 in Round 2, plus their first-round pick in 2024.

Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings also sees a trade back to select Carter but sets the haul at the Colts' picks in Rounds 1, 2 and 4, plus first-round and second-round picks in 2024. No doubt Ryan Poles would love this. But he's not necessarily seeing the Indy QB hunt like others do.

Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News points to Anderson, although acknowledging they'll likely do everything possible to trade down.

"Anderson would give them a new Khalil Mack after also saying goodbye to Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith on the second level," he said.

NBC Sports Chicago's Glynn Morgan anticipates they'll try to trade down but projects Anderson.

"However, if by some happenstance Chicago chooses to take a player No. 1 overall the best non-quarterbacking playmaker would be Will Anderson. He is a defensive catalyst who can alter the landscape of any game at any moment."

The mocking has just begun and there are only a little over three months left to increase this speculation.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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