Chicago Bears land a franchise quarterback via trade in 2021 mock draft
By Joseph Herff
IOL. Pick Analysis. Pittsburgh. JimmyMorrissey. 204. player. Scouting Report. 866
Chicago Bears Round 6, Pick No. 204
It is extremely rare to find a center with the amount of experience Jimmy Morrissey has in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Originally joining the Panthers as a walk-on, Morrissey became a four-year starter and captain. Morrissey displays great athleticism desired for a zone-blocking center and despite being slightly undersized, he still works hard to use his strength to hold up his blocks.
The Bears have a solid center in Sam Mustipher, but he needs competition before he is handed the job of center. Morrissey has experience at both guard and center so at the very least, he is great, smart depth to have behind the Bears’ interior of the offensive line that struggled to stay healthy last season. He may even be able to beat out Mustipher as well.
ChristianUphoff. 208. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. S. Illinois State. 57
Chicago Bears Round 6, Pick No. 208
Another FCS talent, Christian Uphoff showed plenty at Illinois State to show he can be a great contributor at the NFL level. For the Redbirds, Uphoff constantly showed he was one of the best players on the field with the capability to line up almost anywhere on the defense. He can cover the slot well, deep zone, and stop the run with his physicality as well. He additionally returned kicks for Illinois State.
The Bears need competition for kickoff returner, and with Uphoff and Eskridge both coming in, they could compete for the starting job with Cordarrelle Patterson gone. In terms of safety, the Bears just gave Tashaun Gipson another one-year contract to return, but the Bears may want to create competition behind him and try and take a shot on a replacement for the future, not just one season.