Now that we are a week into NFL free agency, most of the bigger names are off of the board. There will be signings between now and the NFL draft, but the reality is that no moves are really going to impact the draft plan.
With that in mind, it is time for a mock draft. We have not done many because it was so obvious the team was trading down and no mocks were realistic until about a week ago. However, we have had a good history of hitting on potential Chicago Bears options. With that in mind we are looking for the most realistic mock, not a wishlist. We are also using the PFF simulator, so do not comment about whether players will be there, it was not my call. Focus more on the potential fit if they were drafted by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears Mock Draft Round 1: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
A lot of people have Peter Skoronski here, and some even have Paris Johnson Jr. However, not enough is being discussed about the potential of Broderick Jones, the star left tackle from Georgia. The Chicago Bears were at the Northwestern pro day and the Georgia Pro day.
It is interesting to note that after the Georgia pro day, there were reports that the NFL sees Broderick Jones as the best tackle in the class.
That is because in terms of pure upsie, it is hard to bet against Broderick Jones. Peter Skoronski does not have the adequate length to play left tackle. He will likely be a great guard, but if this is hopefully your last shot with a top 10 pick, do you want to swing for a double or a home run?
You can see from his MockDraftable profile, that in terms of an athlete, this is exactly what you want.
He is about average in height and weight but has above-average length. Beyond that, he is clearly above average as an athlete. Scouts talk about the way he moves being rare, and hard to find, especially in his backpedal as a pass protector.
Paris Johnson may be the better run blocker, and Skoronski may be the best college player, but in terms of NFL upside as a blindside blocker, the best bet may be Broderick Jones from Georgia. It is at least worth talking about the idea that they do this, because so many others will simply fill in Johnson or Skoronski, but Jones should be considered as well.