The NFL Draft is less than a week away. Pinch yourselves, football fans, because it's true. It feels like we've spent months anticipating this day, and now it's finally almost here. In just a few more sleeps, we'll get to hear Roger Goodell (boo!) call out the name of the newest and in all likelihood, youngest player on our favorite team (yay!).
We've written a lot about the Chicago Bears this offseason, not just because they're a major market team, but because for the first time in their long history, they've committed themselves to making major market moves. The Bears set their sights on the top available head coaching candidate, and hot damn if they didn't get him. They set out to repair a broken offensive line that nearly got Caleb Williams, the man every Bears fan is counting on to be the one who will lead the team to the promised land, killed. Caleb got sacked 68 times last year, so general manager Ryan Poles went out and got him a First Team All-Pro guard, another one who has made a Pro Bowl while playing for the Bears' new head coach, and a center who was widely agreed to be the best free agent available at his position.
We've heard before that this isn't the same old Bears, but those previous words have always rung hollow because the team has operated in the same bargain basement way. No longer. This really is a new day at Halas Hall, and the only thing needed to complete a dream offseason is to nail the draft. The Bears have seven picks, and three in the first 41 picks, which leaves ample opportunity to improve the team even further.
It's time to put our money where our mouth is and make our final full projections for what the Bears will do. What follows is our full, seven-round mock draft. Enjoy it, because the real thing will be here before we know it.
First round, pick 10: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
It seems that every mock draft has either the Bears or the Raiders (at 6) taking the Heisman runner-up. Maybe it's just because I so desperately want the Bears to have a weapon like Ashton Jeanty in their backfield, but I don't see him making the most sense to the Raiders when they have a promising young running back and a lot of other holes to fill.
Sincere McCormick led the Vegas backfield in the last four games of the season, and he averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Vegas also added Raheem Mostert as a change of pace, and they still have Zamir White, too. The receiving corps, on the other hand, is in dire need of help since Davante Adams was traded to the Jets midseason. Jakobi Meyers is a solid 2, but he's definitely not a No. 1 receiver. After that, there's nothing. New quarterback Geno Smith has Brock Bowers and a new $75 million extension, but little else to throw to.
That's why it makes much more sense for the Raiders to take Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Besides, Pete Carroll is the Raiders' new head coach, and who can forget him taking his shirt off to meet DK Metcalf a few years ago? He's going to want to improve this receiving corps, pronto.
As for the Bears, Jeanty is a dream choice. D'Andre Swift was thoroughly mediocre last year, and you can't blame the offensive line for his shortcomings, because he missed holes and left big plays on the table all season long. Jeanty is going to take advantage of every chance he gets, and he'll give the offense an added dimension that will make it one of the most feared in the league.
Second round, pick 39: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
The Bears took massive steps to upgrade their offensive line, and they're not done yet. Braxton Jones is going to have to prove to this new regime that he deserves to be the starting left tackle going forward, but he won't have a chance to do that until the season starts. Even then, it might take some time for him to get to 100 percent.
Josh Conerly Jr. protected Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, one of the best programs in the country. He's a super athletic guy that can stand up opposing rushers on one play and then get out in the open field to run block on the next, a perfect fit for both Caleb Williams and Ashton Jeanty. Even if he doesn't come in and win the starting job right away, the First Team All-Big Ten selection can still provide valuable depth as he grows into his role.
The Bears are all but guaranteed to take at least one offensive linemen within their first three picks. If they go Jeanty at 10, Conerly, who we know they're high on because they had a pre-draft visit with him, is right in line to be the pick.
Second round, pick 41: Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M
The Bears are intent on improving in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. Even with all the work Ryan Poles has done this offseason to revamp the O-line, we know that work isn't done. Even more needs to be done to fix the defensive line, especially after the Bears ranked near the bottom of the league against the run and tied for 16th in the league in sacks.
Dayo Odeyingbo is on board to help the pass rush, and he can count on having a rookie or two to take under his wing. There's a good chance that one of them will be from Texas A&M, as both Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton are Aggies that are on the Bears' radar. Stewart will go higher due to his athletic upside, but Scourton was the more productive player in college, as he registered 10 sacks in his final year at Purdue, then five more after transferring to College Station.
The Eagles proved this past season how important it is not just to have great players on the defensive line, but how important it is to have a full rotation of players that can contribute. The Bears can't have two guys that can get after the passer and call it a day. They need to come at opposing quarterbacks in waves, and the more young, hungry guys they have, the fresher it will keep Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat.
Third round, pick 72: Jonah Savaiinaea, OG, Arizona
Some fans may be surprised by how heavily the Bears continue to target offensive linemen, but it's going to happen, so get used to it. Up to this point, Ryan Poles has mostly had to think about what move will help him the most in the upcoming season. Now that the team has committed to Ben Johnson, he also has to think about how he can best set the team up for success well into the future.
Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson haven't played a down in a Bears uniform yet, but Poles already needs to be planning for what happens if and when they're not in the lineup. Just last year he saw how common it was for his starting line to miss time. Jonah Savaiinaea is another guy that had a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall, and he's a huge guy that's still light on his feet. He fits the profile of what kind of lineman Ben Johnson liked in Detroit, and he'll have two fantastic mentors to learn from in Thuney and Jackson.
Poles heard the frustration from the entire Bears fanbase with the state of the offensive line last year, and he's going to leave no doubt that fixing it was his top priority.
Fifth round, pick 148: Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
The Bears got a breakout season last year from second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Sr., and now they'll have the opportunity to pair him with a fellow Florida Gator. Cam Jackson is a big boy at 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds, which is why he could be just what the Bears need to fix their leaky run defense.
New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen need a space-eater on the interior of the line, and it's not often that a team can find such a massive solution to a problem like that in the fifth round. Jackson isn't the kind of guy who will be an every-down player, but he could do enough on early downs to be more than a bargain at this spot.
Seventh round, pick 233: Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse
Some people believe the Bears will take Penn State Tyler Warren with the 10th overall pick to give Caleb Williams another target to throw to. Obviously we like Jeanty as a better overall fit, but the Bears can still have their cake and eat it, too.
This draft is being touted as super deep for running backs, but there are some quality tight ends that are going to go late, too. Oronde Gadsden II is one of them. He has the pedigree, as his dad played six productive seasons as a receiver for the Dolphins, and he has the production, as he caught over 60 balls twice while at Syracuse.
Gadsden is tall and strong, and he's a very good route runner. He's also able to split out wide and play like a receiver, which will give Ben Johnson even more chances to reach deep into his playbook. If teams are smart, he'll be long gone by time the Bears pick, but this is the range he's being projected in. The Bears could get a steal if they get him.
Seventh round, pick 240: Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
The seventh round is dart-throwing time, so why not throw one at a starting safety from the school that's basically been Safety U for the past two decades? Alabama has pumped out so many NFL safeties that it's impossible to keep track of them all, but Bears fans know one that worked out pretty well in Chicago: Eddie Jackson.
Malachi Moore is an instinctual player that picked off seven passes in his time in Tuscaloosa. He's more than just a cover guy though, as evidenced by his 70 tackles last year. Moore was a captain and named a First Team All-American by Pro Football Focus, and a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and USA Today.
The Bears would love to come out of this draft with a secondary player they can count on. Jaquan Brisker's future in Chicago is anything but assured due to his ongong concussion issues, and Moore could be a low-cost, low-risk way to find his eventual replacement.