The Chicago Bears have many gaps to fill before the start of the 2021 NFL season. They could use a good amount of help on their offensive line and cornerback positions. Adding a quarterback for the future is always ideal, and selecting another pass-catcher would help as well. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Chicago were to make some trades throughout the 2021 NFL Draft process, but for this Bears mock draft, all trade scenarios have been excluded.
Below is a full Bears mock draft that addresses every position of need for the team.
7-Round Bears Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 20: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
Here’s the deal. The Bears obviously need a quarterback for their future, but the five signal-callers likely to go in the first round will probably be taken before the 20th pick. You don’t want to reach for a Kyle Trask or Kellen Mond at this point either. Drafting Christian Darrisaw would help the Bears’ offense tremendously. He’s athletic, silky-smooth with his feet and he has great body control and strength at the tackle position. Darrisaw would easily slip into one of the starting tackle positions for this team, and he has the potential to start for the next 10 or so seasons.
Round 2, Pick 52: CB Asante Samuel Jr., Florida St.
Chicago’s secondary will need some help, after releasing Kyle Fuller. Desmond Trufant was brought in for insurance purposes, but he isn’t the long-term solution. If Asante Samuel Jr. were to slip to the 52nd pick, this would be a steal for the Bears. The son of the four-time NFL Pro Bowl cornerback (Asante Samuel) is superb in man coverage. He has the skillset to play in the slot position, but he’s predominantly an outside defensive back. Jaylon Johnson and Trufant should start on the outside for the Bears starting the season, but Samuel Jr. could be the long-term solution next to Johnson.
RELATED | Asante Samuel Jr. NFL Draft Profile, Stats and Highlights
Round 3, Pick 83: WR Amari Rodgers, Clemson
Allen Robinson’s future with the Bears is a mystery. He could possibly leave next offseason, and the Bears are also looking to trade Anthony Miller. Bringing in another young receiver makes a ton of sense for Chicago. Darnell Mooney was a steal in last year’s draft (Round 5, Pick 173), and he should line up in the slot receiver spot for most of the season. We’ve also seen him line up outside a lot as well. Adding Amari Rodgers to serve as the backup slot receiver would add a ton of depth to the wide receiver position. Think about a receiving corps of Robinson, Mooney, Rodgers, Marquise Goodwin, Javon Wims, Riley Ridley and possibly Miller, if he stays. It sounds like a dangerous group.
Round 5, Pick 164: QB Davis Mills, Stanford
Davis Mills may be the most underrated quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s a former five-star recruit that finished his college career with just 11 starts. Stanford head coach, David Shaw, says Mills is the most talented quarterback he’s coached since Andrew Luck. The signal-caller has great size (6’4”, 212 lbs) and arm strength. He shows decent athleticism and pure starting potential at the pro level. Letting him learn behind Andy Dalton and Nick Foles, two guys with a ton of experience and success, should serve Mills well. With that being said, a fifth-round quarterback selection wouldn’t be the ideal player to be the face of your franchise for the team’s future. BUT, you never know.
Round 6, Pick 204: CB Keith Taylor, Washington
It wouldn’t hurt to really address the cornerback position. Keith Taylor Jr. is the second cornerback to be drafted by Chicago, according to this Bears mock draft. Both Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine are no longer in the building. Adding another big corner (6’2”, 191 lbs) who can lock down defenders on the outside is exactly what Chicago would want. He could be an ideal sub-package corner who would only line up on the outside. A cornerback room that consists of Johnson, Trufant, Samuel Jr., Taylor Jr., Kindle Vildor, Artie Burns and Duke Shelley could turn into a major bright spot for the near future.
Round 6, Pick 208: OL Alaric Jackson, Iowa
Alaric Jackson served as a starting tackle for an Iowa squad for four seasons. He’s considered an ideal utility backup by most scouts. That’s exactly what you would hope you could find in the later rounds. He shows flashes of pro-ready skills, but he’s too irregular with his feet to be a starting tackle right now. Taking a chance on a player who started four seasons for a very good offensive line doesn’t seem like a bad idea. He also plays a position of need for the Bears.
Round 6, Pick 221: DL Mustafa Johnson, Colorado
Akiem Hicks is getting older (31), and it wouldn’t hurt to add a young piece to the defensive line position. Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols should start along with Hicks. Angelo Blackson and Mario Edwards Jr. serve as valuable depth pieces behind them, but we already know what these players are at the pro level. Bringing in a guy like Mustafa Johnson could turn out to be a great move that we wouldn’t notice for a couple of seasons from now. He’s a stocky defensive player who can play the end or tackle position for a 3-4 defense. He’s also shown signs of dominance throughout his college career (52 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in his 2018 season). Practicing and learning behind Hicks, Goldman and others could set him up for future success.
Round 6, Pick 228: OT D’Ante Smith, East Carolina
Since the 2016 NFL Draft, the Bears have selected five offensive lineman, and only two have turned into starters (James Daniels and Cody Whitehair). They also added two undrafted linemen during that time frame as well. Expect this year’s draft to be full of offensive line picks. Chicago has a solid mix of interior linemen. Whitehair, Daniels and Alex Bars man up the middle. Germain Ifedi can play the guard or tackle positions. Sam Mustipher played great at center last season as well. But, the Bears struggle mightily at the tackle positions. Charles Leno Jr. has been mediocre throughout his career, at best. Don’t be surprised if Chicago drafts two-to-three offensive tackles in the 2021 NFL Draft. D’Ante Smith would be a great developmental piece to add to the mix at the tackle position.
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