Under new GM Ryan Pace and defensive mastermind coach John Fox, the Bears will try to turn the page starting with their No. 7 overall draft pick.
The Chicago Bears are looking to draft talent almost as green as their management this year. The Bears own the No. 7 overall draft pick, the franchise’s highest slot since 2005, when they drafted running Cedric Benson at No. 4 overall.
More from Chicago Bears
- NFL rumors: 3 edge rushers Bears could still add to fill glaring need
- Justin Fields, self-proclaimed Top 5 rushing QB ever, eyes elusive Bears record
- NFL Power Rankings: Who is the best quarterback in each division?
- NFL coach bashes the Bears for letting star leave
- NFL Power Rankings: Which teams will have the best rushing attacks this season?
The Windy City club only has six picks in 2015, since it traded its 5th round draft slot to the Denver Broncos for safety Brock Vereen last year.
Defense will certainly be the main area of focus, as a chicken-scratched mockery of rotten titles were written on their team’s forehead last season: 31st in points allowed (27.6 per game), 30th in yards allowed (377.1 per game) and 30th pass yards allowed (264.4).
Meanwhile, uncertainty still looms over quarterback Jay Cutler, who was benched in week 16 despite signing a $126 million contract in January 2014. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Bears were having “buyer’s remorse.”
Like other teams, a lot of the Bears’ draft choices will depend on what happens during free agency, which begins March 10. There are some major veterans who might be making an exit, such as Lance Briggs, 34, and cornerback Charles Tillman, 33.
Bears fans can only hope they’ll get a much better bang for their buck in the 2015 draft.
Let’s look at how the Chicago Bears’ mock draft stacks up.
Next: Improving the pass rush