There is a lot of chatter going on about what the Chicago Bears are going to end up doing with quarterback Justin Fields. It never ends.
But, the right decision is still blatantly clear, if you ask me. He stays.
In our latest 2024 NFL mock draft, that's what happens, only the Bears also opt to trade the no. 1 pick to a potentially-unexpected team.
Let's get right into it.
The Chicago Bears make a blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to kick off this 2024 NFL mock draft
The Steelers are a team that will probably need to make a change at quarterback with how poorly Kenny Pickett has panned out, and they waste no time in going after Caleb Williams at no. 1 overall. The Bears get pass rusher Alex Highsmith to pair with Montez Sweat, giving them a high-caliber duo.
Chicago also gets plenty of draft capital in return. Then, with their no. 5 overall selection, they get added protection for Fields.
At no. 5 overall, the Bears get the best offensive tackle in the draft in Penn State's Olu Fashanu. Braxton Jones takes a back seat and becomes a strong reserve option, making the Bears' starting tackles Fashanu and Darnell Wright.
Fashanu stands 6-foot-6, 321 pounds and brings all the power and bend/flexibility with him. He's got all of the top traits you want in a starting tackle and is as sure of a prospect as there is in this draft.
He possesses extremely quick feet and can move really well in short areas while also offering explosiveness from his base to keep powerful rushers at bay. The Bears hit a home run here, giving Fields two elite protection options on the ends.
Later on, with the Steelers' pick at no. 16, the Bears take a wide receiver to pair with D.J. Moore. Washington's Rome Odunze is 6-foot-3 and comes with a big, strong, long frame that's perfect for an outside receiver. He is truly that alpha type of body at the wide receiver position.
Odunze might have the biggest catch radius in this draft due to his length and his ability to control his body so well in the air. He's an expert contortionist, making some of the more difficult catches look easy.
The Bears may or may not move on from Darnell Mooney, but either way, they could use another top wide receiver option to pair with Moore. Giving Fields two upper echelon type of wideouts to work with will allow him for the most possible success he's had, yet, as a pro.
For a guy his size, Odunze possesses sneaky speed and acceleration. He has the straight-line speed you want for a deep threat, but pairs it with everything else he has to become a legitimate outside threat at every level of the field. This past season, Odunze caught 81 passes for 1,428 yards and 13 scores in a monstrous, final campaign.
One of the decisions the Bears are going to have to make this coming offseason is what to do with safety Eddie Jackson. If they cut him, Chicago would save $13 million. That seems like a no-brainer. With Jackson gone, though, the Bears will need another starting safety to pair with Jaquan Brisker.
That's where a Big Ten stud comes into play in the second round. Like Brisker was, the Bears make Michigan standout safety Rod Moore a second-round pick. While Brisker loves playing near the line of scrimmage and operates more as the team's strong safety, Moore can come in and become the team's free safety.
Moore reads the quarterback's eyes well and plays with anticipation. He excels in zone coverage, but he's also not a liability in man. Moore stands six feet tall and has excellent speed and a fluid set of feet, able to back pedal well and change direction on a dime when needed. Even though he's more of a free safety, Moore is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He attacks ball carriers.
What really works to Moore's advantage and will allow him to be drafted higher than others at his position is his ability to play both safety and slot corner. His coverage skills truly are prolific for a safety.
In the third round, the Bears go after a position that's going to be under the microscope this offseason. Chicago could (and should) finally part ways with longtime starting offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, who has played both guard and center for the team. In addition, Lucas Patrick's contract is up and the Bears could be left without a starting center.
That's where West Virginia's Zach Fraizer comes in. The Bears take him in the third round with the idea that he'll come in and start right away for a team that desperately needs a long-term answer at the position.
At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Fraizer offers prototypical size for the position. Some outlets have him graded out as a second-round prospect, so the Bears are getting tremendous value, here. Frazier not only has a strong base, but his upper body is rock solid. He's able to manhandle opposing linemen in one-on-one battles thanks to all-around strength and powerful hands.
With Frazier in the fold, the Bears now have their offensive line officially set with Fashanu, Nate Davis, Frazier, Teven Jenkins and Wright.
The running back position could be in flux this next year, with D'Onta Foreman becoming a free agent and Khalil Herbert entering the final year of his contract. Herbert hasn't looked great since coming back from his injury, and Roschon Johnson looks like the guy going forward. But, the Bears will need to be smart and continue adding young talent at the position in case of Herbert permanently taking a step backward.
For the second-straight year, the Bears take a running back in the fourth round, going with Kansas' Devin Neal. At 5-foot-11, Neal is a back that can do it all. He is a natural pass catcher and also a solid pass protector, being able to give the Bears a strong option on third down.
Neal possesses incredible vision and patience. He is the type of back to wait for his lane to develop, and once he sees it, he hits it. His patience and vision might be his best overall traits, because those are hard to teach.
This past season, Neal ran for 1,209 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging a healthy 6.6 yards per tote. Between he and Johnson, the Bears would have a dynamic, one-two punch that is capable of doing anything asked of them in the back field.
There are some teams, right now, that have two threats at the tight end position and use them well. Take the Buffalo Bills, for example, with Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. The Bears thought they'd have that type of pairing with adding Robert Tonyan to a rising Cole Kmet, but it hasn't quite worked out.
With their second fourth rounder, the Bears add a dynamic, pass-catching tight end to Fields' weaponry. Minnesota's Brevyn Spann-Ford is a sneaky player in this year's class, flying somewhat under the radar as a guy who ranks anywhere from 4-9 at his position. At 6-foot-7, though, Spann-Ford offers Fields an enormous target who can simply dominate linebackers and defensive backs with his overpowering frame.
With their final pick of the draft, the Bears add to their young defensive line rotation by drafting Michigan's Kris Jenkins. As an interior lineman, Jenkins is a compact, dense player who possesses good strength but also moves extremely well. He's a savvy, quick-footed interior lineman that can get to the quarterback.
Adding Jenkins to the fold, the Bears should now have four healthy options on the interior between he, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.