In the second edition of our Chicago Bears Mock Draft, who should they take?
Now that any moves the Chicago Bears make will be small touchups to the roster, it is time to dig into mock drafts. Picking 87th to start is not an easy place to know who is going to be on the board. Still, this is more about the discussion of players and their fit as well as ideal rounds and spots to take certain positions.
To get a pool of players, we used The Draft Network and their mock draft simulator, so keep the discussion to the players and not whether they would be there or not. Nobody can predict the draft.
Here is a link to Mock Draft 1.0, and with that said, here is version 2.0.
Yes, the Chicago Bears got a cheap replacement for Adrian Amos in HaHa Clinton-Dix. However, Clinton-Dix is signed for one year and is not a long-term answer. This is a good chance for him to play on a great defense, improve his stock and get paid next season. The Bears are hoping he can deliver and get a big contract elsewhere because that means great play for one season on the cheap.
While they have kicked the tires on so many draft running backs they seem destined to take on 87th, the fit of Amani Hooker was too good to pass up, and 87th has to be his floor.
Hooker is a versatile safety who has played everywhere from outside, to the slot, to free safety, in the box and dime backer. His smarts and instincts show in each role. A lot of his questions coming out of Iowa were in his athleticism. He was viewed as a player who was schemed into good situations where he was able to rely on his instincts.
While he does not have the reach to be a press corner in the NFL, his athletic testing showed a player who can move with NFL athletes.
In year one Amani Hooker can compete with Deon Bush for dime snaps, and could serve as depth in the slot behind Buster Skrine. Whether Clinton-Dix or Skrine are busts of signings, Hooker can be there. If Clinton-Dix does get a big contract next year, Hooker is best suited to play in the box, which would be a great contrast to Eddie Jackson.
Hooker would be a perfect fit at pick 87.
Justin Hollins is the type of edge rusher that Ryan Pace likes to identify. He is a bit raw but has plenty of upside. Hollins played outside linebacker at Oregon but spent a lot of his time off of the ball.
Still, he progressed every season in sacks from 3, to 4.5, to 6. He showed promise and more room to grow, especially because he was playing a versatile role.
Then, Hollins had a very strong combine. In fact, he compared favorably to Leonard Floyd.
He is a tall rusher with elite speed, burst, and flexibility. Hollins has special teams ability and was a core performer for the Ducks. With his ability to move off of the ball, his upside and an instant impact on special teams, Justin Hollins comes into the NFL with more upside and a foundation to put him over Kylie Fitts and Isaiah Irving on the depth chart.
At this point that would make him the Bears third edge rusher. Hollins is raw and is going to need to be worked up. However, his upside, combined with the fact that he could walk on and compete for rotational snaps, makes him worthy in the fourth round.
Despite restructuring with Kyle Long and bringing in Ted Larsen, the Chicago Bears need depth and a future at guard. The Bears can easily move on from Long next season, and he has missed over seven games in each of the past three years. It is not a guarantee he starts for Chicago beyond this year.
They need to start taking chances in the draft. Beau Benzschawel is a great option in round five who excelled at Wisconsin, a breeding ground for offensive lineman. Benzschawel was an All-American, and one of the higher graded guard prospects by Pro Football Focus.
He is shaped more like a tackle in size, and his core strength is his biggest weakness, as highlighted by a low bench press in the combine.
However, Beau Benzschawel is a player who is technically sound. The Bears can build him up with their strength program as he sits behind Kyle Long. With his technical skill and a year in the weight room, Beau Benzschawel could enter 2020 with a chance to fight for a starting job.
At the worst, the Bears found a depth option better than Bryan Witzmann.
The Chicago Bears wait and wait and finally come in with their running back. Mike Weber is not one of the big names, but he is a back who is going to come into the NFL and do his job. The Bears worked him out recently and if they liked what they saw, they could sit and wait for him while bigger names fall off the board.
Weber was in an Ohio State offense where the ball went around to a variety of players, so he never saw a true heavy workload. However, he was efficient in it and showed power between the tackles as well as the burst to finish runs. In fact, he had one of the more impressive 40-yard dash runs at the combine.
Weber does not have great lateral quickness and is more of a one-cut runner. However, he can get downhill and finish runs. His ability to finish runs with speed and his pass catching capability can give him a slight edge compared to Jordan Howard.
With Mike Davis in the mix and Tarik Cohen expected to see the ball more the Bears do not look for a high upside bet but instead go for a safe back with limited upside in Mike Weber.
A few things we know about Ryan Pace is that he always takes a small school player that not many people know of. He also thinks that he can find slot cornerbacks with limited size and starter upside in the late rounds.
Pace gets both in Jimmy Moreland, a slot cornerback from James Madison. Moreland was a playmaker at JMU. He jumped routes, and when he did, he took them to the house. However, despite an excellent senior season, he did not get a combine invite.
He is not going to wow people with his size, but neither did Bryce Callahan. However, his attacking style will get the Bears attention and ball skills make him draft worthy.