Even though the Panthers beat the Falcons in Week 15, their 2-13 record is still the worst in the league, which means the Bears are still in the driver’s seat to control the No. 1 overall pick. But there’s still questions about what the Bears should do should they end up with the top choice for a second season in a row. Should they trade it away for a second in a row and forge ahead with Justin Fields? Or should they reset the clock on their rebuild with a new franchise quarterback?
As the offense continues to struggle, it’s becoming more clear that something needs to change on that side of the ball. In this mock draft we’re going to explore a world in which GM Ryan Poles determines a change under center is necessary.
As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. Nor is it meant as a recommendation of what the Bears should do. This mock draft is meant as an opportunity to dig into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.
NO. 1: CALEB WILLIAMS – QUARTERBACK – USC
Last year, Ryan Poles passed on picking a new quarterback and traded away the No. 1 pick for a DJ Moore and a bounty of other draft selections. He can’t resist the opportunity to add a young, talented QB again, though. There are reasons to believe Justin Fields can succeed as an NFL quarterback, but he’ll need to be paid a hefty contract soon, and the Bears aren’t quite ready to contend for Super Bowls yet. So Poles opts to trade Fields, draft Williams and give the Bears more runway to win with a QB on a rookie deal.
Williams has all the same big-play upside that Fields brings to the offense. He’s a threat to score with his legs, has a top-notch deep ball and can turn busted plays into explosive gains with his off-script improvisations. Ball security issues cropped up with nine fumbles this season, but over the breadth of his career, Williams has taken very good care of the football. He’s also effective working as a rhythm and timing passer. There’s a reason he’s one of the most highly-touted quarterback prospects since Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence came out in 2020 and 2021.
TRADE! BEARS SEND NO. 5 OVERALL PICK AND 2025 FIFTH-ROUNDER TO TITANS IN EXCHANGE FOR NOS. 9, 41 PICKS AND 2025 FOURTH-ROUNDER
The Bears were hoping to pair Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers with their new quarterback, but each talented wide receiver came off the board right before their next pick. So Poles trades back and picks up a second-rounder in the process since there are several high-impact players left on his board. Adding the second-round pick is huge too, since the Bears sent their own second-round pick to Washington in the Montez Sweat trade.
NO. 9: ROME ODUNZE – WIDE RECEIVER – WASHINGTON
Poles ends up getting the next best wide receiver on the board, even after moving down four spots. Odunze is a big-bodied deep threat who can work extremely well opposite DJ Moore. Odunze isn’t a burner, but he uses his 6’3” frame well to catch balls over defenders. He also shows great concentration through the catch, and only dropped three balls all season per PFF. The site also said that his 20 deep catches ranked first in the nation, and his 655 deep yards ranked second. His 17 contested catches ranked tied for first. Odunze also isn’t a one-year flash in the pan player. Dating back to 2021, Odunze has 197 catches for 2,988 yards and 24 touchdowns.
NO. 41: ADONAI MITCHELL – WIDE RECEIVER – TEXAS
What’s better than drafting a quarterback and a wide receiver to revamp your offense? Drafting a quarterback and TWO wide receivers. Mitchell is another player known for making big plays down the field, but scouts credit his ability to get open on his releases at the line of scrimmage and great footwork to create separation. Mitchell also brings above-average physicality given his 196 lbs. frame and earned praise from Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian for buying in as a perimeter blocker. That’s a must for the Bears. Mitchell is also no stranger to producing as a secondary option in the offense. Texas brought in Mitchell to complement their No. 1 option Xavier Worthy and Mitchell ended up putting up comparable numbers this year. Mitchell ended the season with 51 catches for 813 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Worthy caught 73 balls for 969 yards and five scores.
NO. 69: T’VONDRE SWEAT – DEFENSIVE TACKLE – TEXAS
The Bears head back to Texas to add more Sweat to their defensive line. There’s no indication that T’Vondre and Montez are related, but they could be best buddies rushing the QB next to each other. T’Vondre is huge and uses his size to stop opposing ball carriers. The Longhorns list him at a whopping 6’4”, 362 pounds, but he’s not just a beefy run stuffer. His 15.2% pass rush win rate ranks third among all interior linemen with at least 250 pass rush snaps. His six batted balls are tied for second in the nation.
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