4 takeaways from Mel Kiper's latest 2020 NFL mock draft

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ESPN's NFL Draft analyst, Mel Kiper, published his third mock draft of the 2020 NFL draft season on Tuesday. And even though the Chicago Bears don't have a first-round pick this year, there are still valuable takeaways from Kiper's top-32 projection that Bears fans should keep an eye on.

Here are four of them.

Four quarterbacks off the board in Round 1

Bears fans who are hoping that General Manager Ryan Pace will pull the trigger on an early-round quarterback could be looking down the barrel of Jacob Eason's right arm if Kiper's mock draft comes to fruition.

Kiper has Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love as first-round picks, but Eason, who some draft analysts predict will find his way into the bottom of the round, doesn't make the cut.

Chicago's trade for Nick Foles shouldn't take them out of the quarterback market entirely, but will they use one of their two most valuable picks in 2020 on a quarterback who won't play at all next season? It's highly unlikely, but Pace has already made some surprising choices this offseason.

No tight ends picked in top 32

Fear not, haters of the Jimmy Graham signing! There's still hope for the Bears to land a tight end who can actually contribute in the passing game.

According to Kiper's mock draft, 2020 will be void of any first-round tight ends, and there's a chance the Bears could be the first team to pull the trigger on one this year. Notre Dame's Cole Kmet is trending as a popular pick for Chicago, while Purdue's Brycen Hopkins and Washington's Hunter Bryant profile as athletic playmakers who would fill a much-needed role in Matt Nagy's system.

If the Bears come away with a player like Kmet, a tight end room of Trey Burton, Graham and Kmet would actually be, dare I say, solid.

RELATED: 5 players the bears could still sign in free agency

Don't expect an offensive tackle to fall

The Bears haven't addressed their offensive line at all in free agency, and if they're hoping to add a quality tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft, good luck.

According to Kiper, as many as six will come off the board in the first round, leaving the Bears with a clear second tier of prospects who may not be worthy of a second-round pick.

Auburn's Prince Tega-Wanogho doesn't make Kiper's first-round cut and could be an appealing name to monitor as we march toward draft weekend.

Second round could be safety sweet-spot

Only one safety appears in Kiper's first-round mock draft (Minnesota's Antoine Winfield, Jr.). That's great news for a Bears defense that, as of now, will field Deon Bush as the starter alongside Eddie Jackson. Bush isn't terrible, but he isn't exactly a quality starter either.

If Chicago can land a prospect like Jeremy Chinn in Round 2, lookout. He would pair with Jackson to make quite the safety tandem in the NFC North.

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