Chicago Bears Seven Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft
By John Blair
The 2021 season is a make break year for the
. There was wide speculation that the team would let go of coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace after the 2020 season. This will likely put the Chicago Bears in a win-now mode, which will affect their draft strategy as they will look to fill needs instead of drafting the best player available in the
.
The team’s top need going into the offseason is quarterback, but I look for the team to either trade for a player or sign someone in free agency to fill this need. The Chicago Bears also have plenty of other needs in this draft including on the offensive line, wide receiver, and in the secondary. Look for the Bears to try and fill most of these needs through the NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears 2021 mock draft round one: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
The Chicago Bears’ biggest free agent this year is wide receiver Allen Robinson. If the team lets him leave via free agency this offseason, they will need a wide receiver who can develop into a number one option. If the team is able to re-sign him which I doubt they do, this need could be something the Bears address more in the middle of the draft.
The 2021 class of wide receivers have several players who could go around the 20th pick, which is where the Bears first-round pick is at. Some of the wide receivers the team will likely consider with this pick include Rashod Bateman, Kadarius Toney, and Rondale Moore. However, I think the team would settle on Toney with this pick.
Toney would make the most sense with this pick for a couple of reasons. The first one being that he is one of the bigger threats after the catch in the 2021 NFL Draft. If you watch the Chiefs offense you can see how important of a skill this is in the type of offense Matt Nagy runs.
He also doesn’t have the injury history Rondale Moore has, which is why I see Toney going higher in the draft. I would also not be surprised to see the Bears trade up in the draft for Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle, as Ryan Pace has a history of trading up in the draft.