Chicago Bears: Breakdown of national analysts’ 2020 draft predictions
Bleacher Report and ESPN
Two of the bigger names in the NFL mock drafting world are Matt Miller of Bleacher Report and Todd McShay of ESPN. I already mentioned McShay came in at No. 16 in FantasyPros draft rankings from last year. Miller slotted in at 20th.
Matt Miller – Bleacher Report
It should be noted that Miller has not updated his mock draft since April 1, 2020. That said, not many things have developed since then that should affect his predictions.
With the 43rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Miller predicts the Chicago Bears will select Kyle Dugger, safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne.
Another smaller-school safety the Bears are linked to in this upcoming draft. Clearly safety is a need for this team and writers believe they take one early. Honestly, I agree with them. A second-round pick will likely be on a safety or a wide receiver depending on who falls where. The other will hopefully be on an offensive lineman. Note: the Bears should move back and acquire another top 100 draft pick.
I do not hate this pick, but I think he could be had at No. 50 or a little later if they move back within the second round. He is very athletic and could be used in many spots on defense. Pace loves these kinds of guys.
With the 50th overall pick, Miller predicts the Chicago Bears will take Cole Kmet, tight end out of Notre Dame.
Listen, I love the player, but I hate this pick. I have Kmet as my TE1 in this draft. I just do not want a team that is in win-now mode to waste a pick this high on a tight end. Tight ends rarely contribute in their first season. The only way I get on board with this pick is if Trey Burton is not going to be healthy enough to play. Rumors are he is not and I find that very troubling. If true, Burton may need to just retire and save the Bears plenty of cap space. Then I can get on board with this pick.
Todd McShay – ESPN
With the 43rd overall selection, McShay has the Chicago Bears selecting Damon Arnette, cornerback out of Ohio State.
A bit of a reach here for me, but I need to look into Arnette more. He looks to have all the tools to become a lockdown corner in the league. He struggled some in 2017 and 2018, but he flourished in 2019. I would prefer Arnette at pick No. 50, but is that even likely? He might not get that far down and I see why McShay has him going this high. It seems many analysts have him between an early second and mid-second-round pick.
With the 50th overall pick in the draft, McShay predicts the Chicago Bears will select Jalen Reagor, wide receiver out of TCU.
This is the first player to be mentioned twice. As I said, I love this pick, but I am not sure he drops this far, especially after his most recent 40-times. That said, with both McShay and Walter Football having Reagor drop to 50, maybe the Bears still have a shot at Reagor at No. 43.
dark. Next. A wide receiver in each round for Bears
Final Thoughts
The Bears have many needs and holes to fill. This is why we see players at multiple positions being mocked. Safety, cornerback, wide receiver and offensive line are the top four positions I think the Chicago Bears look at when they pick in the second round. It will all come down to their draft grades, big board and best player available.
Strictly drafting for need is a no-no, but with so many needs, it opens things up for Ryan Pace. We will see very soon as the draft is just 12 days away.