Fortunately, in a world devoid of sporting news, we still have the NFL off-season. And man, was the start of free agency a whirlwind. High profile names were heading left and right in blockbuster trades (if someone can explain to me what the Texans were thinking I'd be very appreciative) and free agents started choosing their new homes.
Now that the dust from free agency has settled, I have finally put together my ideal draft class by doing a mock draft on thedraftnetwork.com. Unlike many others, I do not like coming up with mock drafts before free agency has occurred. It's hard enough to be accurate with mock drafts thanks to unexpected trades and selections without adding in the fact that a team's needs can drastically change throughout the off-season.
For the Bears, drafting a QB in the second round was a pretty hot topic all off-season, but I think that should be quashed after trading for Nick Foles. Outside of Germain Ifedi's "prove it" contract, the Bears didn't do much to address their problems up front, making OL a serious need entering the 2020 draft. Additionally, there's still a glaring hole at the starting safety spot opposite of Eddie Jackson. Some other areas I and others would like to see the Bears focus on in this draft is getting more playmakers on the offensive side of the ball (TE/WR) along with some depth/building blocks on the defensive side of the ball (CB/ILB).
With that in mind, here is my ideal Bears 2020 draft class:
Pick 43 (2nd): Austin Jackson, OT Southern California
Without a doubt, offensive line is one of the Bears biggest needs entering this draft. A lot of talk has surrounded filling the hole at the RG position, but I believe that Germain Ifedi should perform nicely inside at that role. That leaves the tackle positions. Charles Leno was just awful last season. Don't let the metrics fool you because tape never lies. He got beat down too many times to count and it affected the whole offense. I still have some hope he can return to form, but he needs a fire lit under his ass, and some competition may just do that. I've also never been a fan of Bobby Massie. Too many times I see him get beat on a pass rush or fail to get movement in the run game. These two are exactly why targeting an OT early should be at the top of the Bears list.
If the Bears can land Jackson at 43, I'll be ecstatic. There are a few scouts around the league that have pegged him as a first round talent. He's been steadily rising up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process, culminating with a strong combine performance. Jackson is athletic and plays with good leverage, giving him the ability to handle speed rushers off the edge. Combined with his excellent size (6'5" 322) and strength (27 bench press reps), Jackson has all the makings of a franchise left tackle and a second round steal.
Pick 50 (2nd): Jeremy Chinn, S Southern Illinois
While the Bears did a good job of focusing on some of their needs this off-season, they still haven't found anyone to play safety opposite of their all-pro Eddie Jackson. The team did resign Devin Bush, whom Chuck Pagano is very high on, and may still sign a low-cost veteran to compete for the job, but a long term solution is still up in the air. Regardless of who ends up starting week 1 of next season, it needs to be someone who is more of an "in-the-box" safety so that Eddie Jackson can shift back to his ball-hawking role that he is so good at.
Enter Jeremy Chinn. At 6'3" 221, Chinn possess elite size for an "in-the-box" safety and has blazing 4.45 speed. He's an uber aggressive defender who attacks both blockers and ball carriers. He's also excellent at ripping the ball out and creating turnovers. While he still requires work on his coverage skills, he possesses the necessary athleticism to recover. He should make a fine strong safety at the next level, even earning comparisons to Harrison Smith from NFL.com's Lance Zierlein
Pick 163 (5th): Harrison Bryant, TE Florida Atlantic
How many TEs do the Bears have on the roster right now? 10? 15? Whatever it is, it is a lot and it got even bigger with Jimmy Graham being added in free agency.
So why am I drafting another one?
Because Bryant could be a stud.
Remember when the Bears drafted Adam Shaheen over George Kittle? Of course you do. Bears fans will never let Ryan Pace live that one down. Well, Harrison Bryant might just be George Kittle 2.0. He possesses strong athleticism (4.74 speed) and knows how to make plays down the field. The best part about Bryant is his versatility. He has the ability to split out wide and do work against corners, so he fits perfectly in the Bears "move TE" role. Despite being a "receiving TE" first, Bryant holds his own in the blocking department as well, only increasing his value.
Do I expect Harrison Bryant to be an impact player in year one? Probably not. But do I think passing on him could be another George Kittle-sized mistake? I absolutely do.
Pick 196 (6th): Reggie Robinson II, CB Tulsa
We've passed the point in the draft where you're likely to find immediate starters, so at this point I like to find upside. My favorite kind of players to look for late in drafts are the "prototypes". Guys who fit a specific build of height/weight/speed who may lack technical skills or be very raw. Reggie Robinson II fits that mold. He's got outside corner size (6'1" 205) and incredible length to go along with the speed (4.44) to handle outside receiving threats. He was also a big time performer in his time at Tulsa.
His coverage skills are going to need work as his hips are tight and he has trouble mirroring receivers, however, in the 6th round, there's a lot to love about this kid's potential
Pick 200 (6th): Darryl Williams, IOL Mississippi State
In my opinion, the Bears don't have a true center on their current roster. Cody Whitehair has too many issues with his long snapping to be a real solution there and James Daniels has struggled mightily in his time there. So it would be ideal if the Bears were to try and target someone who could possibly start at the center position.
Williams was a captain and a three year starter at Mississippi State. Though he lacks the ideal athleticism to play in the NFL, he's an absolute grinder and he holds his own. Scouts don't love his explosiveness off the line and into defenders and they are worried he could get exposed at the next level, but he had a strong performance at the East/West shrine game, highlighting his ability to play against top talent. Williams may not be a long term option at center, but his mentality and grit make him worth a flier in the late rounds
Pick 226 (7th): Cole McDonald, QB Hawai'i
If the Bears want to take a developmental guy at QB who they can stash on the practice squad for a year, look no further than McDonald. He is a strong athlete (4.58 speed) and possess prototypical NFL QB size at 6'3" 215. He hails out of the pass happy Hawai'i offense, so there's concerns about him just being a "scheme QB". However, he's been praised for his ability to read defenses and move through his progressions.
Scouts are not in love with his throwing motion and he's had a great deal of trouble hitting the deep ball in his career. This has lead to concerns over his ability to make NFL throws. However, his athletic ability and his pocket presence are something to build on and make him an appealing last round pick.
Pick 233 (7th): John Hightower, WR Boise State
I fought the urge to jump at WRs at other points in this draft (specifically in the second round), but there was no chance I was getting out of here without taking at least one. While the Bears WR core isn't too bad, there currently is no one on the roster that is a consistent deep threat. So I went looking for only guys who fit the "deep threat" profile.
That's how I landed on the lean (6'1" 189) WR out of Boise State. He's got speed to burn (4.43) and is a definite big play threat through the air, after the catch, and on the ground as well. In addition to his speed, Hightower cuts well and can lose his defenders easily. That being said, his overall route running still needs refining and he has trouble getting off of the press.
The biggest issue with Hightower is his hands. He catches in the body far too often and he has some difficulty tracking the deep ball and making plays in traffic. While these are concerning, if he can iron out some of these issues, Hightower has the big play ability to be a real difference maker.
And there is my ideal Bears 2020 draft class. If the Bears were to come out of the draft later this April looking a little something like this, I would be ecstatic about the upcoming season. In the meantime, everyone stay safe and practice your social distancing. Together, we'll all get through this.
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