The Chicago Bears load up on offense in 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Chicago Bears Round 3, Pick No. 96 via DEN

After going offense three times in a row, Poles and Eberflus can’t ignore defense. The Bears are in a dire need of a run-stuffing, no fear, inside linebacker. They can look no further than Leo Chenal who is not afraid to fill his gaps and crush a running back in the hole.

Chenal was a monster, to say the least in college. He burst onto the scene in 2021 after a solid 2020 season. He was the head of the nation’s top defense racking up 115 tackles with 18.5 of them being tackles for a loss, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles earning himself second-team All-American honors and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. He did all of this while missing two games due to COVID-19.

The measurables alone are there for Chenal. According to Relative Athletic Score, Chenal scored a 9.99 out of 10 which ranked 4th out of 2,226 linebackers numbers from 1987 to the present time. The rare blend of size, speed, and explosion to go with his mean and nasty mentality is incredible. You truly cannot find a better prospect in the third round with more upside than Chenal.

With Roquan Smith and Nick Morrow likely manning the weakside and strongside linebacking positions, the Bears need their mean Mike linebacker. Chenal is that guy. If he develops into what is expected, he and Roquan would run the NFL for years to come.