It’s officially draft day for the Chicago Bears and phase two of getting some kind of NFL football back. It follows free agency and is the kicker for the schedule release, rookie minicamp, OTAs, and training camp. Whether your team made a deep run in the playoffs or were eliminated at the start of December, the NFL draft is a unified experience everyone tunes into.
The Bears have four picks in the top 89 and are set to reload their defense and possibly address the hole at left tackle and find their center of the future. Chicago is in a spot this year to move around the draft, and at No. 25, with two selections in the second round, could leverage it for even more capital later in the draft, but it comes down to how the board falls and who is the best available.
At pick No. 25, Chicago needs immediate impact, whether it’s at edge rusher or left tackle. It would be ideal for that player to be a Week 1 contributor. With that said, here is my final Bears seven-round mock draft, which features multiple trades and shoring up holes on defense.
Round 1, Pick 25: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
As much as I want the Bears to take Akheem Mesidor, I don’t see him falling to No. 25, and so I pivot to T.J. Parker, who has the power and length that many other edge rushers in the class don’t have. He has a long-arm rush that has posted devastation to tackles and can drive blockers back. He is still young at just 21 years old and has lots of room to develop, but on the Bears, Parker will see multiple reps and compete for the starting spot opposite Montez Sweat, he fills a need that Chicago does have. But a left tackle could be in play. Players like Kaydn Proctor or Caleb Lomu could be an option, especially if Chicago feels Austin Booker can take that next step.
Round 2, Pick 57: Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
With his speed and versatility, Treydan Stukes would fill a massive hole for the Bears on the back end of the defense. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and is 6-foot-6. Stukes has the speed and range to play over the top and has taken several snaps at the slot and corner position. He was my pick for the Bears at pick in the first mock, and he’s my pick again. Right now, the Bears only have Coby Bryant and Elijah Hicks on the roster as safeties who should make the roster. Chicago needs to come away in this draft with a starting safety to fill that void.
Round 2, Pick 60: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami (FL)
Keionte Scott came in for a top-30 visit with the Bears, and obviously, Chicago likes what he could potentially bring. His draft stock is rising, but Scott would fit the Bears scheme the best. This is a pick that could set the Bears up for the future, and sure, it’s not an immediate need, but if drafted, he will see the field in his rookie season. Scott can play cornerback from the slot and, at times, even line up in the WILL linebacker spot. He’s a tackling machine and a willing blitzer. He can sniff out runs, but does need to work on his ball skills. Scott is twitchy, has good feet, and a change of direction allows him to get to the ball. With how unavailable Kyler Gordon was last season for Chicago, they want to make sure that if that’s the case again, a player like Scott could provide depth in that role. Scott had 64 tackles last season, 5.0 sacks, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, two forced fumbles, and 13.0 tackles for loss.
Round 3, Pick No. 73: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas – TRADE!
Trade terms:
Chicago makes their first trade of this mock, moving up to land a player who’s been a popular mock to the team. All signs point to this pairing of the Bears and Sam Hecht, and with one year left on Garrett Bradbury’s current contract, Chicago needs to find their center of the future. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar attended the Kansas State pro day and built a relationship with Hecht. He’s fluid and smooth with his hands and feet, and can pull with lateral quickness and athleticism.
Round 4, Pick No. 129: Jaboki Lane, WR, USC
Jaboki Lane, at 6-foot-4 with 10 ½ inch hands, has elite length and ball skills and is poised to be a red zone threat. He has good catch focus and glides in his route running. He would fit well in Chicago against zone coverage, who can find the pockets and slip tackles, and has the deep ball catch ability. Lane works the sideline well and can make catches in traffic. Lane also played with Caleb Williams in 2023 and has the previous chemistry.
Round 5, Pick No. 144: Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana – TRADE!
Trade terms:
Kaleb Proctor is 6-foot-2, 291 pounds with room to add on weight, but is a playmaker on the defensive line. He’s more of a rusher on the defensive line with a quick first step. In Chicago, Proctor can find the gaps and mismatches against guards in the Bears’ 4-3 front. He had a PFF defensive pass-rush grade of 90.4, ranked 3rd among 887 qualified interior defensive linemen, and a 74.2 grade against the run.
Round 7, Pick No. 241: Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo
It always seems like a good move to try and take a chance on a running back in the later rounds, and Chip Trayanum, who started at Arizona State, then went to Ohio State, Kentucky, and ended up at Toledo, could be another seventh-round gem like Kyle Monangai last year. Trayanum is a punishing back with good balance and drives his feet. He lacks the needed elusiveness, but is a good pass catcher, a willing pass blocker, and did contribute to special teams at OSU.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Final Bears 7-round mock draft: Multiple trades, defensive moves
Reporting by Preston Zbroszczyk , Bears Wire / Bears Wire
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