Let's kick off New Year's weekend with a bang, shall we? The Chicago Bears are headed for a pivotal offseason in just a short amount of time, and it won't be long before we know what the future holds for quarterback Justin Fields.
Until then, it's all speculation. So, let's continue the speculation and "what ifs" with our latest edition of a 2024 NFL mock draft.
In this one, we assume that general manager Ryan Poles opts to keep Fields in Chicago while bringing in an offensive-minded head coach, or at the very least, a top offensive coordinator.
The Chicago Bears trade out of the no. 1 pick with a monstrous deal to set them up nicely in this 2024 NFL mock draft.
To begin the draft, the Bears make a deal with the New England Patriots, who have made up their mind on the future of their quarterback position. No longer will it be the Mac Jones vs. Bailey Zappe conversation. It's Caleb Williams time.
Then, at pick no. 4, the Bears select the best player in the draft in Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Pairing Harrison with D.J. Moore gives Fields a duo that could easily be a top-5 duo in all of football. Harrison is a 6-foot-4 unicorn. He does everything well.
Yes, everything.
He really has no glaring weakness. He has the speed, route running ability, size, catch radius, and big play talent. Harrison could end up being even better than his father, which is a scary thing to say. But, it's true. Harrison gives the Bears a true alpha wide receiver of the future to go along with the already-elite D.J. Moore.
Hello, offense.
When the Bears are on the clock next at no. 9 overall, they will once again trade out of that pick. This time, it's the Cincinnati Bengals who come calling.
Chicago ends up moving down to pick no. 18 in the first round, but they also net a second rounder and a fourth rounder in the process.
With that late first rounder, Chicago adds another top-tier pass rusher to go alongside Montez Sweat. Florida State standout edge prospect Jared Verse is one of the top four or five pass rushers in this class, and depending on which outlet or expert you trust, he could be ranked as high as no. 1.
This class of pass first-round pass rushers is extremely deep, thus moving down this far shouldn't be a problem. Verse gives the Bears a sure-fire, Day 1 starter on the other side of Sweat.
Standing 6-foot-4, 249 pounds, Verse gives me some Georgia Bulldog Leonard Floyd vibes. He's lighning fast off the line of scrimmage and brings a ton of speed and athleticism to the position. Verse has an arsenal of pass rush moves that mostly include quick movements that can catch opposing tackles way off guard. He is ultra-fast with his hands and feet and can be unpredictable at times, which makes him an exciting player to watch.
Over his two years with the Seminoles, Verse accumulated 29.5 tackles for loss and 18.0 sacks.
With their first of two second-round picks now, thanks to Poles' trading prowess, the Bears go after an Eddie Jackson replacement. Jaquan Brisker welcomes in another fellow second-round Big Ten safety prospect in Minnesota's Tyler Nubin.
Jackson, of course, will be released as the Bears can save nearly $13 million in making that move. It's a highly necessary move that should happen quickly after the new league year begins, especially since Jackson's play has been on the downturn since he signed that massive extension a few years back.
Nubin, now, comes in and rounds out a young, talented Bears secondary that could end up being one of the very best units in all of football. Nubin is a versatile safety who can play either position and, like Brisker, brings the thunder with how he attacks ball carriers.
The St. Charles, IL native brings a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame to his starting position on this Bears defense. He has tremendous length that goes well with his top-tier ball skills. He excels in zone and is also a willing run defender as well.
Nubin gives the Bears a long-term answer at safety and allows them to move on from an underwhelming Jackson. This is a no-brainer. Assuming Jaylon Johnson is brought back, the Bears now have one of the best secondaries in the entire league, adding in Kyler Gordon and Tyriqe Stevenson as well.
With their second pick in the second round, the Bears go after a starting center. Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick should be shown the door, with Whitehair's contract being terminated and Patrick hitting free agency. This is an area the Bears absolutely have to address and find a long-term solution, and West Virginia's Zach Frazier gives them exactly that.
Frazier is 6-foot-3, 310 pounds and brings prototypical size to the position. He moves well in run blocking and also has a very strong upper body. Many times, interior linemen focus on having a strong base and can thus sacrifice some of their upper body strength, but that's not Frazier.
He is a strong, thick-bodied lineman through and through, from top to bottom. Frazier cements the starting center position with ease. Now, the Bears' starting offensive line should be set between Braxton Jones (barring competition via free agency or later in the draft), Nate Davis, Frazier, Teven Jenkins and Darnell Wright.
Chicago's next pick would have come at pick no. 68, but they make another move, here.
The Bears move down to pick no. 72 and also net a fifth-round pick at no. 168, which the Jets acquired earlier in the draft via a trade with the New Orleans Saints. From here, Poles goes back to the trenches, this time on defense.
At no. 72 overall, the Bears snag an Ohio State defensive tackle, Michael Hall Jr. The Buckeyes have a loaded defensive front who could all see themselves picked on the first two days of this draft, and Hall is no exception.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, Hall has a dense, compact frame that is both quick and strong. He is more disruptive than any of his numbers show. In fact, if you were to try and categorize him with just one word, "disruptive" is a perfect description.
He can blow up a play all by himself, and whether or not he ends up getting the tackle or sack doesn't matter. He can wreck an entire offensive line's assignments in a hurry. Hall gives the Bears another big-time, young player they can add to their rotation while saying goodbye to veteran Justin Jones, who enters free agency and should be allowed to walk.
With their second pick in the third round, the Bears once more go on the interior of their defensive line. This is going to be a highly-competitive area throughout training camp which will lead to the Bears turning one of their weaknesses into a big-time strength. This defensive line is going to be deep.
Michigan's Kris Jenkins comes in as a guy who will likely end up raising some eyebrows come time for his NFL Combine. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, Jenkins is a big boy but will test at the top of his position across the board. He combines strength and speed in a way not many other interior linemen can do in this class.
Jenkins is a natural run defender and is almost impossible to run on successfully. He also adds some pass rush prowess from the inside. This guy will make an impact immediately, as part of a very young interior line in Chicago.
In the fourth round, the Bears kick things off by adding a talented receiving option in tight end Jaheim Bell out of Florida State. The 6-foot-3 Bell is more like a wide receiver stuck in a tight end's body. He is athletic enough where he can be split out wide, while also being a matchup nightmare in the slot. Of course, he can always start inline and become a problem for linebackers.
Bell doesn't offer much in the blocking department, but having him and Cole Kmet as pass-catching options gives the Bears some versatility, scheme-wise. One thing Bell can also offer, which might seem odd to some, is the ability to run the football.
It's not every day you see a tight end with rushing experience, but Bell has ran 84 times for 303 yards and four scores over his time in college. Add that potential to the trick play section of the playbook.
If you look around the league, there are some teams which have a pair of tight ends that can be playmakers in the passing game, though, and that's why the Bears go with Bell. If they can take a page from the Buffalo Bills and how they use Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, Chicago could open things up even more offensively.
With their second of now three fourth-round picks, the Bears go after the best player available and it so happened to be Kansas running back Devin Neal. Next season, the running back position will be manned by Roschon Johnson and, potentially, Khalil Herbert in the final year of his contract.
But, veterans D'Onta Foreman and Travis Homer will likely be gone, with Foreman's contract up and the Bears possibly terminating the contract of Homer.
That leaves room for another back to come in and give the Bears a three-headed monster, just as they've operated with this season. Neal stands 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, giving you the prototypical running back size. He has quick feet and great route-running ability, making him a natural pass catching option. He's also experienced lining up in the slot at times, which gives the Bears another versatile option to add to the playbook.
This past season, Neal ran for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging a healthy 6.3 yards per carry.
The Bears now have three running backs who can catch passes, which will make it difficult on opposing teams to know which guy is going to play on which series, or even on which down on a series-to-series basis. Chicago's running back room is deep, as per usual.
Sticking to the offense here in the fourth round, the Bears select their second receiver of the draft with Lousiville's Jamari Thrash. Looking at the depth chart next year, it will be Moore and Harrison at the top. But from there, it could be anyone's opportunity to step up.
Darnell Mooney could very well be gone via free agency, leaving Tyler Scott and Velus Jones as the no. 3 and no. 4 options. Sure, Harrison and Moore are excellent at the top. But, the depth isn't exactly strong. That's why Thrash is taken, here, to give the Bears some competition and more potential playmaking ability.
After four years with Georgia State, Thrash transferred to Louisville and enjoyed a productive season in his fifth and final season of collegiate play. With the Cardinals, he caught 63 passes for 858 yards and six scores.
Thrash is a guy who brings elite speed to the position, especially on long, straight-line strides. Like Tyler Scott, Thrash presents the Bears with a deep threat. However, he also excels after the catch. He's a nifty route runner and can get down the field in a hurry with the ball in his hands. At any moment, Thrash has a chance to take one to the house.
The Bears will end their draft with two picks in the fifth round, and the first of which they'll spend on another offensive lineman; their second of the draft. The 6-foot-6 Belton comes into the league as a fairly versatile lineman that may not have a permanent position just yet. But, that's not a bad thing.
Belton could end up developing as an offensive tackle at the NFL level, or even as a guard. Regardless, he can give the Bears some added depth and youth within their offensive line depth chart.
The reason he might be liked as a guard at the pro level is due to his tendency to play that "phone booth" style. He can be very physical in the run game and plays with a nastiness you love to see from interior linemen.
He is also quick and light on his feet for a guy his size, which projects as some nice traits as a tackle. We'll see where he fits in once he has an NFL home.
Finally, the Bears take their 11th player of the draft when they select Oregon State tackle Joshua Gray, giving them their third offensive lineman of the weekend. This doesn't necessarily feel like two years ago when Poles took a ton of guys on Day 3, but this time, he actually found some value taking Frazier early on and now Belton and Gray in the fifth.
Gray is yet another example of an offensive lineman who could come in and see his position shift, potentially. He stands 6-foot-5, 330 pounds and is an experienced left tackle, Gray has long arms and heavy hands, which are positive traits of a tackle. He is also a physical blocker, especially in the run game, which is a reason why he might be better off at guard.
Wherever he ends up playing, Gray will have a chance to earn a significant role as a backup on the Bears to begin with. His versatility could become a huge advantage for a team that's had some injuries up front over the last couple of years.