NFL Draft

Hoge: 2021 Bears Mock Draft 3.0

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Free agency is mostly over and the Bears' roster has changed. While offense still remains a likely target in the first round of the NFL Draft, we need to at least consider the possibility of Bears general manager Ryan Pace drafting a defensive player. With that in mind, let's see what a possible 2021 draft class could look like in that scenario:

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1/8

Drafting a defensive player in the first round might be a tough sell to the fan base, but the Bears still have depth issues at cornerback and a gaping hole at the slot corner position. Newsome has the traits – size, length and ball tracking ability – to be a longtime starter on the outside, but he also has the quickness and competitiveness to play in the slot as a rookie. The nickelback is sometimes playing 80 percent of snaps these days, so I like the idea of working Newsome in at the slot as a rookie with the idea of kicking him outside in the future. That may come sooner than later with Desmond Trufant’s durability concerns. Newsome has some penalty issues that can’t come with him to the NFL, but that’s one of very few weaknesses and can be corrected. He’s going to be a very disruptive cornerback at the next level.

2/8

Davis Mills is Mac Jones without the polish. Of course, you wonder how polished Jones would look if he had played at Stanford. Regardless, Mills' decision-making is questionable at times. Part of that is due to inexperience (just 11 starts), but there was improvement as the season went along. Mills was a big-time recruit coming out of high school and dealt with a bit of bad injury luck/timing before eventually taking over as the starter in 2019 and pushing KJ Costello to transfer. There were signs of Mills coming into his own in 2020, which is why I’m willing to take a shot on him in the later part of the second round. The tape shows more of a third or fourth-round prospect, but the Bears are desperate, and Mills has the tools to develop into a good starter. Like Jones, his footwork in the pocket is very good, even though neither player will be mistaken for an dynamic athlete at the quarterback position. But Mills has the better arm and there are exciting examples of him driving the ball into tight windows on NFL throws. He’s a rhythm passer who gets rid of the ball quickly. His pro day in the pouring rain was very impressive. This is a risky pick, but one I’m willing to make in the position the Bears are currently in.

3/8

If the Bears are going to wait until the third round to address the offensive tackle position, then they’ll likely have to take a guy with traits to develop. That’s where Spencer Brown comes in. At 6-9, 314, he’s almost too big, but he’s still able to get low to gain leverage and he moves like a tight end. He just needs to be coached. The technique almost needs to be completely rebuilt, but Chicago would be a good fit for Brown with offensive line coach Juan Castillo’s reputation for developing offensive linemen. Brown primarily played right tackle at Northern Iowa, but he could be developed into a left tackle at the next level. Either way, he’s raw and likely wouldn’t be an immediate starter.

4/8

Might as well bring Mills’ most talented receiver with him to Chicago. Fehoko has a rare size-speed combination, but he still needs to learn how to play the receiver position. He’ll blow right by you, but he’s far from crafty when it comes to getting open. These are the receivers I hate taking early in the draft, but have no problem taking a chance on later. He’s an older prospect due to a church mission out of high school, but Fehoko plays hard and can still be developed into a good NFL wide receiver.

5/8

I love guys like this late in the draft. Johnson doesn’t have elite bend and he’s not going to blow by you on the edge, but he might go through you. His motor runs hot non-stop and he improved each year at Georgia Southern. With good, strong hands, Johnson is a power rusher who will be good against the run and an immediate, reliable contributor on special teams. This is a safe pick in the sixth round.

6/8

I saw a lot of Smith-Marsette in his college career and I kept seeing a dangerous receiver who was under-utilized and hurt by inconsistent quarterback play in a run-heavy offense. He has legitimate vertical speed and is quick off the line of scrimmage, especially if corners play off. The strength needs to improve and he’ll have to get better with his route tree, but I’d love to see Smith-Marsette coached up in a passing offense and utilized better than he was at Iowa.

7/8

One of the reasons why the Bears still have Jimmy Graham on the roster is because their depth at tight end is limited. Even with Graham and Cole Kmet, they’re an injury away from having some issues. Bushman would be a good backup option to Graham because he’s big and has good ball-tracking ability. He’s not an in-line tight end, but he can create mismatches in the passing game and haul in big catches on third-down and the red zone. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Bushman with Zach Wilson in 2020 as the tight end opted out. One big reason why he’ll still be available this late: Bushman is already 25 years old.

8/8

Ford is small at just 197 pounds, but he plays much bigger and tougher. A former cornerback who switched to safety in 2019, he seemed to fit better in the middle of the field where he could hit people. At first, he had tackling issues at safety, but that improved in 2020, which is an indication he can still get better as he develops at the position. His size and speed are questionable, which is why he’s likely a late-round pick, but Ford is a former big-time recruit who was probably playing the wrong position and could be a solid fit next to Eddie Jackson in the secondary.

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