Chicago Bears mock draft after Smith, Quinn, and Claypool trades

With Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn officially on the move and Chase Claypool coming in, the Chicago Bears have more draft capital to rebuild the team in a new image. 

Losing a locker room leader is tough, but the Chicago Bears have now lost two in the form of defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Roquan Smith, both of which have been traded.

In return, Chicago was able to land three draft picks, when added to the six they owned initially, rounds out to nine selections.

Additionally, on Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Bears announced they would be trading their original second-round pick to the Steelers in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool, leaving the Bears with eight draft choices in the 2023 NFL Draft. They will still have a pick in the second round from the Ravens.

That would mean the Bears would have 19 combined draft choices under the Ryan Poles era, including the 11 they drafted last year. Some of those 11 players have looked good, i.e., Jaquan Brisker, Braxton Jones, Dominique Robinson, and most recently, Kyler Gordon. Some, like Velus Jones Jr, look like a disappointment and a miss.

That’s why it’s better to have multiple swings at the plate than limited capital, which was a trademark of the Ryan Pace era in Chicago, one that fans most certainly want to forget. So, the Bears can potentially land more talent by having eight picks instead of six. Additionally, they have two choices in the fourth and fifth rounds due to the trades they made.

Chicago may have over $120 million in cap space, but that will likely be used for specific players that fit the mold. The main focus and the central core of the team will come through the draft. The Bears have needs at several spots, notably OL, DL, and WR. Claypool does help at the WR core, but more holes must be filled. That said, let’s look at what could happen in April thanks to the Bears having nine selections.