Every year, the closer we get to the NFL Draft, there is one specific piece of content those die-hards look forward to. The Athletic's Dane Brugler puts out his 7-Round mock draft and it instantly becomes one of the best pieces of content available.
In this year's final mock, Bears fans will very likely take a hard opinion on Brugler's first-round pick for Chicago, and it'll be either far one way or the other. There is no in between on this one.
Brugler has the Bears taking Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at no. 10 overall, which will immediately raise a couple of questions.
What would it mean for the Bears if they drafted Tyler Warren in the first round?
First of all, there is a portion of the fan base which might think this is an awful pick because the Bears already have Cole Kmet.
"This is a pairing that grew on me the more and more I considered it. Ben Johnson runs a decent amount of “12” personnel, which would get both Warren and Cole Kmet on the field (Kmet also has no guaranteed money left on his deal after this season)," Brugler wrote.
To Brugler's point, here, the Bears would use both Kmet and Warren together, and they'd do it a lot. Kmet is going to stay inline while Warren can be used in a variety of ways. Whether Warren is in the back field, the slot or even occasionally split out wide for a diverse look, he's extremely versatile; far more versatile than Kmet.
Now, that doesn't mean the Bears are out on Kmet, even though he has zero money guaranteed after 2025. This offense could go heavy on two wide receivers and two tight ends without a real threat at WR3, and that will work just fine.
On the other end of the spectrum, there's the portion of the fan base that you won't have to talk off the edge. Some fans love the idea of taking Warren, who many believe is a top-8 or even top-5 player in his class. He's the clear-cut no. 1 tight end and his skill set is that of a bigger wide receiver.
He's a true mismatch, no matter how you spin it. And, with Ben Johnson running the show, Warren immediately becomes a problem as a rookie. Tight ends often take a while to develop, but Warren looks as ready to make the jump as any prospect in recent years (think Brock Bowers).
So, while some fans might hate taking Warren over other players like Ashton Jeanty, Will Campbell or others who could still be on the board, the other half of the equation sees a portion of the fan base ecstatic with the move.