A 2022 Chicago Bears mock draft with trades to assist free agency
By Ryan Heckman
One position fans wanted to see the Bears go after hard in free agency is at cornerback, but a lot of the good names have been signed. Meanwhile, the Bears are left without the likes of J.C. Jackson, Charvarius Ward and Darious Williams.
But, in the third round, the Bears get a guy who could very well come in and become a starter right away. Martin Emerson out of Mississippi State would be a great pickup here in the third.
Emerson has great size at 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds. He’s got very long limbs which helps him disrupt receivers when the ball is in the air. He’s fast enough, as he ran a 4.53 in his 40-yard dash at the Combine.
Maybe the best trait is the fact that Emerson can play well in a zone scheme, which is what the Bears will be playing for the majority of the time under Eberflus. Paired with another young corner in Jaylon Johnson, Emerson could develop into a cornerstone piece here in Chicago.
One last tidbit on Emerson: he comes up and supports the run stop. He’s not afraid to make a tackle at the line of scrimmage — that’s something the Bears need.