The Chicago Bears have not been as active as fans expected in free agency, but they still have been active enough to get a greater sense of what the team will be doing in the 2022 NFL draft. We have already hit two versions of our mock draft, after the Senior Bowl, and after the NFL combine.
Now, we have our post-free agency version, or in this case mid-free agency version. In the past, we have hit on names such as Bilal Nichols, Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, and more, so this is an attempt to be predictive, not pick fan favorites. We will be using the PFF mock draft simulator, so leave complaints to them, and leave the discussion to how the players would fit with the Bears if they did wind up in this spot.
With that said, here is our newest mock draft.
The Chicago Bears have been quiet on the wide receiver front, which may surprise some. However, when you break down the room, it does appear that they will take one wide receiver with one of their two top 50 picks.
Adding a wideout such as George Pickens to Darnell Mooney and Byron Pringle now gives the team a starting three that adds up on paper and would have the team a lot more comfortable with where they stand.
Pickens would have been a first-round pick but he tore his ACL and missed most of the season. That could concern Bears fans, but he came back for the playoff run and helped win a national championship.
Pickens worked out as his Pro Day and the NFL combine, showing that he is cleared and good to go. The slip could give the Chicago Bears a first-round wide-out and high-end X receiver.
Pickens is a bigger-sized receiver and plays physically on the outside. He is not a burner but does not need to be because of Darnell Mooney across from him. Beyond that, Pickens and Justin Fields know each other going back to high school. This could be the perfect fit.
It is never a bad idea to walk away from the top 50 picks and see two SEC players who play premium positions on your roster. Martin Emerson is flying under the radar because of the higher-end corners in this class.
There is a chance that five or maybe even more cornerbacks get drafted in the first round. The thirst for defenders on the outside is going to force Chicago to take one early and avoid the risk of losing out on any quality talent at the position.
Martin Emerson is exactly what the Chicago Bears would want in a cornerback under Matt Eberflus. Emerson is much better in zone coverage and keeping things in front of him. In that space, he can jump routes, attack the football and make plays with his smarts, and hustle.
His NFL combine wasn’t blazing, but he compares favorably to Rasul Douglas in the NFL, and you can see how Douglas has thrived once he found a scheme that let him keep things in front of him.
In man, Emerson can get beaten over the top and does not have the elite speed to recover that warrants a first-round pick. Still, at pick 50 the pedigree and tape show a player who contributes in the NFL next year.
The Chicago Bears had to hit the offensive line at some point in this draft. The quality tackles in this draft are going to get taken high, but the guard and center depth in this draft is what the team should be taking advantage of.
In the case of Cole Strange, he could line up at center or guard. Still, that is what Ryan Poles talked about when he talked about building his new offensive line.
The team wants to be versatile and wants to roll out the top five guys and know that any combination they can put together of their top five is viable.
Lucas Patrick has talked about being the starting center, but if he got beat out, they would move him. Either way, Strange is a bet on upside and tenacity more than an instant upgrade.
He plays the game the right way and is tough and gets after it in the run game. Beyond that, he posted a freaky athletic combine that shows that he was not just mauling undersized players and that he can handle the step up in class. A small school interior lineman will fall this far, but the upside of a legitimate starter has to force the slide to stop here.
Cade Mays has a lot of the traits that would make him a similar addition to Ryan Bates. Cade Mays has started at both right guard and right tackle for Tennessee, so he can come in and compete at multiple spots.
However, while Strange can be a guard/center, the team will have Cade Mays who could be a tackle or guard depending on the need and where he is playing at his best.
Many project Mays to guard, but his tape at tackle at least says that he should get a shot to prove that he can play on the outside, especially considering the value of adding a tackle.
He is experienced, he has played in a zone scheme, and he packs a punch that Ryan Poles should like. Keep an eye on Cade Mays.
Chris Paul is an offensive lineman from Tulsa. We did a write-up on him so you can find out more about who he compares to in the NFL and how he projects.
The reason the Bears may be interested in his personality and demeanor. Paul is probably a guard prospect, but for the good of the team stepped outside to tackle because the team was thin on the outside.
Paul probably hurt his draft stock but helped the team win, and that goes a long way in NFL circles. Still, on the field, the fact that he has two years of starting guard tape and two years of starting tackle tape is a nice addition.
Decobie Durant is a slot cornerback from South Carolina State. The small school product is also small, but he is springy and can get after the football. Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams had success bringing Kenny Moore in from a small school and turning him into one of the best slot corners in the NFL.
The college coach of Kenny Moore just so happened to follow Eberflus to Chicago. Perhaps these two can eye another athletic slot corner from a small school and add him into a secondary that needs plenty of help.