2016 Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock 1.0
With the 2015 NFL season officially in the books and the draft order for the first three rounds established, it’s time for my first Bears 7-round mock. The compensatory picks won’t be released until March, but I can’t wait that long to start mocking Bears picks. There will be a total of 32 compensatory picks added between the end of round 3 and round 7 (none for the Bears), so I’ll be waiting to release the full NFL seven rounders until the draft order is finalized. In the meantime here’s how the Bears picks turned out in version 1.0 of my seven round mock draft.
To check out the first three rounds of my first mock draft of 2016, click the links below. After the combine I’ll be posting an updated version.
2016 Mock Draft:
Chicago Bears 2016 Mock Draft Picks:
1st round: DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon (6’7 | 290 | 4.87)
The Bears would be pleasantly surprised to see Buckner fall out of the top 10 as the defensive line is one of their biggest needs this off-season. By the end of 2015 the Bears were starting three defensive linemen they signed off the street during the season. Adding Buckner to NT Eddie Goldman and DE Ego Ferguson would give the Bears three promising young d-linemen for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to develop.
Buckner has the size to handle double teams, the strength to set the edge against the run, and is quick enough to occasionally get to the QB as his 10.5 sacks last season attest to. He is strong enough to move inside if needed on passing downs and his combination of power, long arms and unusual quickness for his size could make him an effective interior pass rusher. Buckner also showed a knack for batting down passes with five pass deflections last season. He is polished enough to play right away and has the potential to be the total package at DE.