Bear Digest

Special Edition Bears Mock Draft

Mock Draft 4.1 for BearDigest as version 4.0 is rebooted following the Jalen Carter situation and the result is three first-round trades.
Gene Chamberlain|
Special Edition Bears Mock Draft
Special Edition Bears Mock Draft

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Chicago Bears

Just four days before the combine started, Pro Football Focus had the Bears selecting Jalen Carter in its mock draft.

Mel Kiper Jr. for ESPN had Carter taken by the Bears in his second mock draft.

Things may have changed in the draft scenario with the news of charges filed against Carter. It's difficult to judge the impact on the thinking by the Bears.

There's never a good reason not to have a mock draft anyway, but the Carter situation certainly has an effect on the draft. 

So we'll redraft mock No. 4.0.

Here is Bears Mock Draft 4.1 for BearDigest, one in which the Bears finally have come to the realization that there are a lot of good athletes and if there are issues with some players it is better to trade back and get as many picks as possible.

The Bears wound up trading three times in the first round as teams scrambled for the quarterbacks. Some teams on the simulator were stubborn with their picks, like the Colts for some reason.

The Texans coughed up a second-rounder and fourth-rounder for the Bears to drop to No. 2 from first.

The Colts then, possibly angered over losing the top spot, decided to sit still at No. 4 and were unwilling to trade again. So the Bears found a much better trading partner in Seattle, which definitely can't be content to sit on Geno Smith at quarterback. The Bears acquired two first-round picks as well as Seattle's third-round pick. A real heist.

Finally, Atlanta offered its eighth pick, a second-rounder and a second-rounder next year if the Bears moved down from No. 5 to No. 8. Done. That's another pick in Round 2 for the Bears in this draft.

With all the trades, the Bears came away with a 13-player draft class.

So the draft began and Carter was still available at No. 8 when the Bears were set to draft. Unfortunately three edge rushers were gone by No. 8.

Also unfortunately, this draft had too much of Big Ten flavor to it and not enough SEC players.

Round 1, No. 8

DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa

No. 8 is no time to abandon defensive line for the offensive line when Van Ness, nicknamed "Hercules," is still there. The Cole Kmet family will be happy since Van Ness dates Frankie Kmet, Coles' sister. Van Ness is a classic 4-3 style end at 6-5 1/2, 272 pounds, holds the edge well and seems cut from the J.J. Watts cloth.

Round 1, No. 20

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

Then with the 20th pick acquired from Seattle, the Bears took Justin Fields' wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Not a speed receiver but a guy who does everything, has a real connection with Fields and actually does get open.

Round 2, No. 33

T Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

Anton Harrison can fit at either tackle, and the Bears would use him on the right side. He has been commended by scouts for his pro style footwork and strength. He's a well-qualified pick at 6-5, 315, at a need position for the Bears.

Round 2, No. 44

C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota

He might be the draft's best center for his strength/speed combination and it's a position where the Bears need long-term stability. He excelled at the Senior Bowl and until he's ready to start they still have Lucas Patrick under contract.

Round 2, No. 53

DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern  

Here the track meet begins. A group of speedsters are included in this draft class and Tomi Adebawore wowed everyone at the combine with his speed as a defensive end and also three technique, a 4.49 for 282 pounds. It's pretty ridiculous speed. And he also had a 37 1/2-inch veritcal leap.

Round 3, No. 64

CB D.J. Turner, Michigan

The fastest defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bears would be lucky to find him this late after he ran 4.26 seconds. It seemed obvious to many he was going to be in the running to be fastest in the combine on defense after some of the GPS speeds he was recorded at during the regular season.

Round 3, No. 83

LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State

Another fast player, a weakside linebacker candidate who ran an outstanding 4.54 seconds in the 40. Not the biggest player at 6-foot, 225, but this Bears scheme stresses speed with linebackers. Henley is so fast because he once was a wide receiver. He has five career interceptions and three forced fumbles, a nose for takeaways like Matt Eberflus wants in his weakside linebacker.

Round 4, No. 103

WR Tyler Scott, Cincinnati

A 4.3-second type for the 40 at receiver from the Bearcats who averaged 16.5 yards per reception in his career with 14 TDS. A real big-play threat who is only 171 pounds but is 5-11. He's pretty similar in size to Darnell Mooney and can be a slot or Z-receiver.

Round 4, No. 104

DT Zacch Pickens, S. Carolina

In the Bears scheme, he can play one or three techniques. He's 6-3, 305 and makes plays on the ball with 7 1/2 sacks and 11 1/2 tackles for loss. And of course he runs well. At 305, he ran 4.89 seconds at the combine 40 which is also a ridiculous time for a 300-pounder.

Round 5, No. 133

LB Ivan Pace, Cincinnati

A shorter linebacker who would play middle or strong side at 5-foot-11, 239, he made 306 tackles, 41 for loss and had 20 sacks for the Bearcats. Also a takeaway force with three forced fumbles and an interception and was National team linebacker of the week in practices at the Senior Bowl. He's short, admits it, and takes it out on ball carriers.

Round 5, No. 137

TE Payne Durham, Purdue

A red zone target at 6-5, 255, with 18 career TD catches. He has the makings of a good U-type tight end with 126 catches overall and 1,275 yards in a pass-oriented offense.

Round 5, No. 150

OL Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan 

The Outland Trophy winner who somehow slipped down this far. An athletic interior lineman who can play guard or center and is very mobile at 6-3, 310 for the wide zone scheme.

Round 7, No. 220

RB Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina

The Tarik Cohen type the Bears are lacking in their backfield, he shined during Senior Bowl week. If only they could get him to be a punt returner, too. But he did some kick returning. At 5-9, 188, a nightmare in the open field and good change-of-pace back.

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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