Chicago Bears find a starting-caliber left tackle in this 2022 NFL mock draft

The Chicago Bears finally address the defensive side of the ball

Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears now have two fifth-round picks. They have their original pick at 150 and another from the Titans trade at 169. This time, the Bears finally address the defensive side of the ball.

Round 5, Pick 150 – Akayleb Evans, CB – Missouri

It was never my intention to ignore the defensive side of the ball to this point. However, with how the draft was going, offensive players were just a better value. Despite only having one interception in college, Evans makes for a great developmental corner. He has great size for a perimeter corner at 6’2″ and 188 pounds. He worked his way up by playing at Tulsa for four years before making the jump to the SEC and playing for Missouri.

Evans is a punishing tackler when he makes contact, but he struggles at times with taking the right angles and allowing his opponent to either dodge or break off. If he does not get a good jam at the point of release, he can struggle to get his body turned around to successfully trail the receiver. Evans does a good job hand fighting in coverage, but his aggressiveness will likely lead to early penalties in the NFL. The Bears need help at corner, but Evans will be just a developmental piece who may even start on the practice squad depending on further moves from Chicago.

Round 5, Pick 169 – Kyle Philips, WR – UCLA

With the Bears current wide receiver group, taking some receivers in the later rounds and even in the UDFA process is a smart move. The team can see which guys stick and which guys don’t. Some of these guys could make the team as special teams players too. Kyle Philips could be one of those guys.

Philips is not the biggest or fastest receiver and this is why he is likely to drop in the draft. He stands 5’11” and ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at the Combine. He was a four-star recruit though and projects to be a slot receiver who can possibly help in the punt-return game. His quickness allows him to make moves underneath, but his lack of top-end speed will be a struggle to find separation in deeper routes.

What I like about Philips this late is that he has above-average hands, is a strong route runner and has the ability to make defenders miss with his quickness once he has the ball in his hands. He would push Dazz Newsome for some playing time or even the final WR roster spot if drafted.