It’s never too early to start talking about the draft. Many outlets are making their first mock drafts with so many NFL-ready college players looking to be drafted in April. The Chicago Bears, sitting a game behind 500 at 3-4, are looming around the middle of draft boards. Many expected the Bears to compete for the first overall pick this season, but the Bears’ young core and new coaching staff have exceeded expectations this season. By any means, this Bears team is not ready to contend, but generational talents can polish this team to greatness.
Wide receivers are by far the weakest positions for the Bears this season. Equanimeous St. Brown and Darnell Mooney have taken leaps to fill their roles, but guys like Dante Pettis and Isaiah Coulter aren’t going to cut it. Although I’m not a fan of drafting wide receivers in the first round, this draft class is full of playmakers that would help Justin Fields tremendously. Here are five receivers that could step up to the podium holding orange and navy in April:
Quentin Johnston, TCU
2022 Stats: 38 Receptions, 574 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
2021 Stats: 95 Receptions, 1,606 Yards, 9 Touchdowns
*Injured during the 2022 Season
Kayshon Boutte, LSU
2022 Stats: 27 Receptions, 288 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Jordan Addison, USC
2022 Stats: 39 Receptions, 585 Yards, 7 Touchdowns
Josh Downs, North Carolina
2022 Stats: 37 Receptions, 425 Yards, 5 Touchdowns
All five of these receivers are superstars in the making. Jaxon Smith-Njigba stands out the most as a former teammate of Justin Fields in college, but I’d be happy if the Bears drafted anyone of these guys.
The offensive line is another weak spot for the Bears. Sam Mustipher is arguably the worst center in the NFL, and Lucas Patrick can’t stay healthy. Since Ryan Poles became general manager, he’s noted that it’s his priority to build a tough front for Justin Fields. If Ryan Poles’ objective is to still build a bulldozing offensive line, don’t be surprised to see one of these guys in a Bears uniform next season:
Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
6’ 4”, 315 lbs
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
6’ 6”, 321 lbs
Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
6’ 6”, 310 lbs
Broderick Jones, Georgia
6’ 4”, 310 lbs
O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida
6’ 5”, 347 lbs
These monsters would add huge protection for Justin Fields and create openings in the trenches for Herbert and Montogomery. I definitely see Poles taking the route of drafting an offensive lineman first and a receiver in the second round, but it could go either way. You never know what can occur during draft night. Maybe the Bears make some trades or land a player nobody saw coming. We’ll have to wait another five months to see how the Bears execute their draft, but with the NFL regular season almost halfway over in what seems like a few days, nothing seems too far away.
