Chicago Bears: Three-round 2021 NFL mock draft recap

Recapping the three-round haul for the Chicago Bears in the recent 2021 NFL mock draft at NFL Mocks.

On Monday morning, a brand new 2021 NFL mock draft dropped on NFL Mocks and this time we went three rounds deep with our predictions. This kind of mock draft allows us to look a bit deeper into the class and see how draft classes for specific teams can take shape. With this mock draft fresh on the mind, I wanted to take a quick look at some specific draft classes. Here, we are going to dig deep into the three-round mock draft haul of the Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears started the season off strong, but they have significantly fallen off in recent weeks. In this mock draft, the Bears held the 14th overall pick and they could end up picking earlier before it’s all said and done. That being said, let’s take a look at how their three-round mock draft haul came together:

Round 1, 14th Overall: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan
Round 2, 46th Overall: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
Round 3, 78th Overall: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

With the top four quarterbacks off of the board, the Chicago Bears kicked off this mock draft with the selection of Michigan offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield. Obviously, they would love to find a quarterback in this spot, but taking any of them that were available would have been a reach. Instead, the Bears make a significant addition to their offensive line mix.

Mayfield is a tough and athletic offensive tackle prospect who could come in and provide immediate value for the Bears up front. Their current offensive tackle duo of Charles Leno and Bobby Massie leaves plenty to be desired. Adding a guy like Mayfield to the mix would undoubtedly take the Bears’ offensive line to the next level, both in the short and long-term.

Chicago Bears take a quarterback flyer

The Chicago Bears did not have an opportunity to find a franchise quarterback in the first round of this mock draft, but they did take a shot at the position in the second round. Desmond Ridder is far from a polished player at the quarterback position, but he is an exciting talent who does have some nice long-term upside.

Ridder has an impressive combination of arm talent and athleticism that must be taken seriously. He is not ready to come in and compete right away, but he has the raw talent needed to potentially grow into a starting option down the line. This is not the perfect quarterback solution for the Chicago Bears, but Ridder at least gives them someone who they may be able to grow into a premier option in a year or two.

With their final pick of this mock draft, the Chicago Bears give some attention to the defensive side of the ball. Christian Barmore entered the year as an exciting 2021 NFL Draft prospect to watch. However, his season has not gone according to plan, as he has put up limited production in his expanded role.

That being said, Barmore still has plenty of exciting upside as a penetrating player on the inside. He has an impressive combination of quickness and power that could help him quickly become an impact player at the next level. Barmore would be worth taking a shot on in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Chicago Bears swung for the fences a bit in this mock draft, opting for high upside players at important positions of need. Between Mayfield, Ridder and Barmore, there is a lot to like about this mock draft haul for Chicago.