The five biggest needs for the Chicago Bears in 2024

3) Center

The Bears' offensive line has been a mixed bag this year. Darnell Wright has held down the right tackle position, and though he's not playing at an All-Pro level, the Bears have to be happy with his development at this point in his rookie year. The Bears' other starting tackle, Braxton Jones, has quieted talk of the team possibly drafting his replacement by playing well since returning from an early-season neck injury.

Nate Davis has been underwhelming at right guard after the Bears signed him away from Tennessee. Not a liability, exactly, but he hasn't met the expectations that come with the three-year, $30 million contract he signed. Teven Jenkins has been the best of Justin Fields' protectors, with a highlight reel of pancakes and wow plays, but for the third time in three years, he's missed extended time due to injury. Jenkins has missed five of the Bears' 15 games this year, which brings his total to 15 games missed in three seasons.

Ryan Poles definitely needs to add depth to the line, especially the guard position, but center is the biggest area of need in the trenches. Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair have not been up to the task, and it's really hurt the offense as a whole. Forget the bad snaps from earlier in the year; those have mostly been remedied, but it seems like every game, Fields is under constant attack up the middle.

There are multiple options in the draft to shore up the center position. Sedrick Van Pran of Georgia is thought to be the top prospect, with Zach Frazier of West Virginia and Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon also highly regarded. All three are graded as worthy of a pick in the first three rounds, and it seems likely that one of these players will hear his name called when the Bears are on the clock at some point.