Bears NFL Mock Draft roundup: Who do the experts think Chicago should target?

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but this is a big draft for the Chicago Bears. It may not quite carry the same import as last year's when the Bears had the No. 1 and No. 9 overall pick, but general manager Ryan Poles is under immense pressure to get things right in Ben Johnson's first year as head coach.

There are so many variables still to be determined that projecting what the Bears might do is, in a lot of ways, a fruitless effort. Free agency hasn't even begun, and as we saw last week, Poles isn't afraid to use his picks to trade for established talent. Even taking that into account, there's no telling if a player the Bears want will even be there when they pick, or if they'll be snatched up before Roger Goodell announces that the Monsters of the Midway are on the clock.

Why pay attention to mock drafts then? Honestly, because football rules, and we can never get enough of it, even when the regular season is still about six months away. Any excuse to talk football is a good excuse to talk football.

Casual football observers aren't putting together mock drafts. It's the real diehards that are watching college football in the fall, crunching tape, analyzing rosters and evaluating positional needs. Creating and reading mock drafts isn't exactly an exclusive club, but it sure feels good to get a pick right every once in a while.

What are people saying the Bears will do? There are still many opinions out there, even if the Bears did clarify things a bit by trading for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney in the past week. Let's take a look at what some of the experts think, and so as not to go overboard, we'll be looking at the first two rounds today, where the Bears have the 10th, 39th and 41st picks.

All mock drafts we're looking at today were published after the Jackson and Thuney trades.

Sports Illustrated

Round 1, Pick 10: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St.

Alan Goldsher of Sports Illustrated pointed to the Jackson and Thuney trades as the reason the Bears were freed up to take Jeanty, the Heisman runner-up. Goldsher called Jeanty "a potentially generational running back." If you can get a player like that with the 10th pick and you've already addressed the offensive line in a big way, this is a move that many Bears fans would love.

Round 2, Pick 39: Traded with a 2026 third-rounder to the Cincinnati Bengals for DE Trey Hendrickson

Goldsher swung for the fences in Round 2, projecting the Bears to package this pick with a 2026 third-rounder for 2024-25 NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson. New Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was Hendrickson's defensive coordinator for four years in New Orleans, so this could be something to watch. Hendrickson was recently granted permission to seek a trade, but one thing to keep in mind is that if the Bears do acquire him, they'll likely need to sign him to a massive extension.

Round 2, Pick 41: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami

Arroyo really only had one year at Miami in a featured role, in which he caught 35 balls for 590 yards and seven touchdowns. He measured very well at the combine though, with the second-highest athleticism score among tight ends. He could pair with Cole Kmet to be the secondary passing option that recently-released Gerald Everett couldn't.

Pro Football Network

Round 1, Pick 10: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

Despite the trades for Jackson and Thuney, Reese Decker of Pro Football Network expects the Bears to triple down on the offensive line with their first pick in the draft. As he points out, given that Caleb Williams nearly set the single-season record for times sacked, you can never have enough protection. As Decker mentions, Membou is "an elite athlete with exceptional flexibility" whose stock has really risen.

Round 2, Pick 39: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio St.

If the Bears don't get Jeanty in Round 1, there could be some nice consolation running backs at the 39th pick. Judkins is one of them, a national champion that was part of an outstanding 1-2 punch with TreVeyon Henderson. His combination of power and speed would play well in Chicago, and he'd get to stay in Big Ten country.

Round 2, Pick 41: Marcus Mbow, OT, Purdue

Did I say triple down? Let's make it a quadruple down, as Decker has the Bears going with another offensive lineman here. Mbow was limited by injuries during his time in college, but his positional versatility (he played at both right guard and right tackle) and exceptional athleticism could help him make up for a lack of ideal size.

The Athletic

Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns, Bears beat writers for The Athletic ($), have each put out their own mock drafts. As two of the most plugged-in Bears reporters, we've included both below.

Round 1, Pick 10: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri (Fishbain)

Fishbain went with Membou, who is likely to be the top-ranked offensive lineman when it gets to the Bears' pick. Chicago has been tied to Will Campbell of LSU throughout much of this process, but whether he's there or not, Fishbain believes that Membou's off-the-charts athleticism will be too much for Ryan Poles to resist.

Round 2, Pick 39: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (Fishbain)

It seems that nearly everyone expects the Bears to take a running back with one of their first two picks, it's just a matter of which one. Fishbain goes with UNC running back Omarion Hampton here for his physicality and strong combine, though he acknowledges that Hampton may be gone by time the Bears pick.

Round 2, Pick 41: Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas (Fishbain)

One major area of need that the Bears haven't yet addressed is to add another edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Jackson put up Myles Garrett-like athleticism numbers at the combine, and though it wouldn't be wise to compare his future production to the Browns' $40 million-per-year man, he could be just what the Bears' pass rush needs.

Round 1, Pick 10: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St. (Jahns)

The trades for Jackson and Thuney have really kicked the Jeanty hype train into overdrive, and Jahns hopped on board by saying, "If Jeanty truly is the second coming of LaDainian Tomlinson, the Bears can't pass on him." He also included this tweet from his colleague Dane Brugler, which says it all.

Round 2, Pick 39: JT Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio St. (Jahns)

It seems that nearly every mock has the Bears taking a Buckeye, whether it be Judkins, Henderson, offensive tackle Josh Simmons, or defensive end Jack Sawyer. Jahns sees JT Tuimoloau as the right fit for his size, the physical way he plays and his performance in big games. Jahns prefers someone with a proven track record over an unproven project with elite measurables, and after getting burned by a few of those in the past, the Bears may agree.

Round 2, Pick 41: Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M (Jahns)

Of the mocks we sampled, this is the only one where the Bears went defense twice in the first three picks. Turner could prove to be a disruptive interior force next to Gervon Dexter, but as Jahns notes, he'll need to be cleared by doctors after being unable to work out at the combine with a stress fracture in his foot.