The Chicago Bears break Ryan Pace’s habit in full 2022 NFL mock draft

It’s never too early to do a 2022 mock draft, especially for the Chicago Bears. With the team’s recent decisions to fire general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy, things could go differently in the draft this year.

Whoever it is that ultimately is hired to replace Pace, they’ll be confronted with an alarmingly small amount of 2022 draft picks. Currently, the Bears have their own selections in the second, third, fifth and sixth, with an extra fifth from the Houston Texans when the team traded Anthony Miller earlier this year. There’s plenty of speculation that the team could acquire more picks, however, whether that be through player trades or earning any sort of compensatory selections.

Regardless, the new general manager would be best to be reserved in the draft. The team has a long list of free agents set to hit the market. Finding as much young and cheap talent now will pay dividends later, especially if quarterback Justin Fields takes a strong sophomore leap. One habit that Pace had was trading up in multiple drafts, multiple times. The Bears can’t afford to be so aggressive this year.

The Chicago Bears trade back twice in this 2022 NFL mock draft

Using the draft simulator from NFL Mock Draft Database, the team makes two trades back in the second and fifth rounds. There was a heavy emphasis on offensive talent overall, but the team’s first two selections can arguably play right away. The team made trades with the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars, listed below.

With the extra selections all cued up, the Bears are on the clock with the 45th overall pick.