Bears trade back, again, in latest mock draft

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Ryan Poles already drastically changed the Bears’ draft outlook when he traded away the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, for DJ Moore, the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, a future first-round pick and a bunch of other selections. But what if he did it again?

In our latest mock draft, we presume that all the blue chip players on Poles’ list are gone by the time the Bears are on the clock, so we have Poles trading down again.As always, these mock drafts aren’t an attempt to accurately predict what will happen when the picks start coming in for real on Apr. 27. That’s impossible. These mock drafts are meant to be a fun way to introduce fans to a wide variety of NFL prospects. So please, enjoy.

TRADE!

The Bears switch spots with the Commanders. Poles ships the No. 9 pick, and in return receives the No. 16 pick, the No. 47 pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder. The extra second this year will help the Bears kick start their rebuild.

NO. 16: CALIJAH KANCEY - DEFENSIVE TACKLE - PITT

Kancey is arguably the most athletic defensive tackle in this year’s class, and he’s the backfield disruptor the Bears have been looking for on the interior. Kancey had a tremendous 47 pressures last season, which ranked seventh in the nation. That was despite playing only 275 pass rush snaps, which ranked tied for 106th, per PFF. The only reason Kancey is still available at this point in the draft is because of his small frame, but the Bears value his elite athleticism.

NO. 47: FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH - EDGE - KANSAS STATE

Poles adds to the defensive line again with his second pick in the draft, but he adds to the edge this time. Anudike-Uzomah isn’t a one-trick pony and beats tackles with a variety of moves. He’s not a flash in the pan either, with an extended track record of success. Over the past two years, he has 21 sacks and 89 total pressures, per PFF.

NO. 53: LUKE WYPLER - CENTER - OHIO STATE

The Bears switch to the other side of the ball with their second second-round pick, but they stay in the trenches. Wypler has the athleticism to succeed in the Bears’ zone running scheme and should fit in well since the Buckeyes deployed something similar. Some experts say Wypler will need to beef up a little bit to pass protect reliably at the NFL level, but he never let his smaller frame hurt him too much at OSU. According to PFF, Wypler only gave up one sack, one hit and 14 pressures over his two seasons as a starter.

NO. 61: MATTHEW BERGERON - LEFT TACKLE - SYRACUSE

Just like the Bears went inside → outside with their first two picks, they go inside → outside with picks three and four. Bergeron is an experienced lineman, having emerged as a starter in his freshman season back in 2019. He’ll compete with Braxton Jones at left tackle, but if Jones wins out the Bears can feel good about sliding him over to the right side.

NO. 64: TRE’VIUS HODGES-TOMLINSON - CORNERBACK - TCU

Hodges-Tomlinson won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2022, which recognizes the nation’s top CB, in large part because of his NCAA-leading 21 forced incompletions and his stingy 34.6% completion rate allowed. Hodges-Tomlinson is only 5’8”, but he does a great job sticking to wideouts and uses athleticism to make plays on the ball. He had five interceptions between 2021 and 2022.

NO. 103: ISAIAH MCGUIRE - EDGE - MISSOURI

McGuire was an upright rusher a lot of the time for the Tigers, but hand success with a hand in the dirt, too. The Bears will ask him to do the latter as a defensive end. He’s got the motor that Matt Eberflus covets, and can defend the run in addition to pressuring the passer. His 9.8% stop rate was tied for 11th among edge defenders with at least 200 run defense snaps last year, per PFF.

NO. 133: ROSCHON JOHNSON - RUNNING BACK - TEXAS

If the Bears want to replace what David Montgomery brought to the running back room, Johnson fits the profile. He’s a strong runner who’s hard to bring down, but doesn’t exactly have the top end speed to blow by defenders for home runs. According to PFF, Johnson’s 45% forced missed tackle rate over the last two years leads all running backs in the country with at least 190 attempts.

NO. 136: JONAH TAVAI - DEFENSIVE TACKLE - SAN DIEGO STATE

Tavai is cut from the same cloth as Kancey. Small, athletic and extremely disruptive. Tavai led all defensive tackles in sacks and pressures in 2022 (12, 69) and 2021 (10, 61). The question is, can he keep up that unbelievable production against much-stiffer competition than he faced in the Mountain West?

NO. 148: DAVIS ALLEN - TIGHT END - CLEMSON

Cole Kmet has developed into a promising U tight endー a guy who can succeed both as an inline blocker and a receiving threat. But the Bears could stand to add another pure pass catching TE. That’s where Allen thrives. He’s not a burner, but he’s got a huge catch radius and can reel in the ball with defenders hanging on him. From 2020-2022, Allen caught 83 balls for 898 yards and 12 touchdowns.

NO. 218: MATT LANDERS - WIDE RECEIVER - ARKANSAS

Landers is big, fast and can help any offense gain big chunks of yards. Take his 6’4” frame, add his 4.37 speed, and it’s easy to see why he averaged 19.2 yards per reception last season. Drops can be an issue for Landers, but measurables and results are tantalizing for a seventh-round flier.

NO. 258: JORDAN HOWDEN - SAFETY - MINNESOTA

The Bears have their starting safeties set with Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, but the Bears bring in Howden to compete for a backup job because he’s a sure tackler. According to PFF, his 3.1% missed tackle rate ranked seventh among all defenders, regardless of position, with at least 500 snaps played last season.

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