2022 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft
The 2022 NFL Draft will be an important one for the Chicago Bears. With a young quarterback under center, the Bears are in need of many pieces to complete the team with few assets to do so, meaning whoever is calling the shots will need to be strategic with the limited selections.
For starters, Chicago’s new general manager and head coach will walk in without a first round selection. That pick went to the New York Giants as part of the Justin Fields trade a year ago. The Bears won’t be picking until the 39th selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, barring a trade up.
Beyond that, the Bears currently have just five choices in the draft. That can change for a variety of reasons, but this offseason will, without a doubt, be an uphill battle for whoever steps in and tries to right this roster.
Note: Mock draft completed using the Mock Draft Simulator at thedraftnetwork.com. Contract information supplied by spotrac.com.
Round 2, Pick 39: Drake London, WR, USC
If the Bears want Justin Fields to succeed, they need to improve the offense around him. David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen in the backfield is a good start, but other pieces will surely need to be added. Whether it’s protection up front or weapons on the outside, the Bears offense needs upgrades.
Protection should be the priority here, but there isn’t much available worth the value of the pick. Instead, the Bears can provide options for Fields to target. Currently, only Darnell Mooney is under contract for next season from the wide receiver group. Everyone else has the chance to seek a free agent contract.
Enter Drake London. Young quarterbacks need big targets to look for and a 6-foot-5 wideout is hard to top. London, who has also spent time on the USC Men’s Basketball roster, hauled in 88 catches this past season for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns.
The concern with London is the experience. He has 22 games under his belt at USC and before this season had 1,069 receiving yards to his name across two seasons. However, the blossoming of Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit this season out of the same college system could instill some trust in this pick for the Bears’ new brass.
Round 3, Pick 71: Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa
Now with at least one weapon for Fields, the Bears can focus on protecting him and upgrading the offensive line. Like the wide receivers, the offensive line has few pieces under contract as of now for the 2022 season.
Starters Cody Whitehair and Germain Ifedi are set to return while 2021 selections Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom will be back as well. That still leaves at least one more spot that has to be filled for a starting offensive line alone, not including depth.
Tyler Smith is a bit raw, but the talent is there and that’s enough at this point in the draft. A Freshman All-American and First-Team All-AAC selection in 2020, Smith played left tackle at Tulsa but could move inside to play guard at the NFL level. He’s also proven himself against some of Tulsa’s toughest opponent’s, including being graded at a 94% over 72 snaps against No. 6 Cincinnati in 2020.
Smith might not be the ideal candidate to block for Fields, but with the limited draft capital the Bears are going to need to figure something out. Smith has potential with enough talent to step into a starting role next season. This is a decent value pick that could turn into something better down the line.
Round 5, Pick 146: Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
The Chicago Bears nearly have back-to-back picks in the fifth round with just the Carolina Panthers between two selections. This could allow them to explore their options a bit more, but they also have to be mindful of which direction the Panthers go between them.
Here, they go with a true value pick. Originally in the conversation to be a first round selection a few years ago, Justyn Ross‘ career was derailed by a spinal condition. Ross returned and had a decent season, but a foot injured that required surgery will once again drop his draft stock.
For a team like Chicago, Ross presents a low-risk, high-reward option this late in the draft. The Bears are going to need options at wide receiver and adding another 6-foot-4 weapon is intriguing. Especially when that pick has shown his high potential in the past.
The obvious key for Ross will be his health. With few selections the Bears could opt to go a safer route, but the upside of Ross if healthy is hard to ignore. Players with stat lines like his often don’t fall to the fifth round, so while there’s risk it could be a great chance for Chicago to get a steal in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Round 5, Pick 148: Dohnovan West, IOL, Arizona State
I know I initially said that the Chicago Bears had plenty of needs and now four picks in I have them addressing really just two spots on the field. The point is that the key to the Bears’ long-term success is finding a quarterback. Justin Fields needs weapons and protection to have the best odds to fulfill that role. With two big targets already taken at wide receiver and one guard, the Bears can look to complete their line with a center.
Someone has to snap the ball and build chemistry with Fields. Whitehair could, but they would still need a guard. Why not take a player who was considered one of the best centers in the country? Dohnovan West entered the season on the Outland Trophy watch list and is a proven leader on top of being a tenacious run blocker in the middle of the line.
West immediately started as a freshman, so the experience is already there. The downside is that he was limited to just four games this past season due to injuries. Like Ross, West is a low-risk, high-reward pick at this point for Chicago. As a team that needs playmakers, they will have to hope for the best with some players like these two who might have an injury history, but are also proven talents on the field.
Round 6, Pick 186: John Ridgeway, DL, Arkansas
With so few selections the Chicago Bears are going to need to search for value picks and there might not be a better value in the 2022 NFL Draft than John Ridgeway. After transferring to Arkansas from Illinois State prior to this season, Ridgeway is flying under the radar and the Bears could capitalize.
Both Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols could become free agents this offseason, so players on the defensive line will be needed. At 6-foot-6 320, Ridgeway has the ability to fit well into both a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, depending on the new coaching philosophy.
Back in 2018, Ridgeway was named an FCS Freshman All-American by Phil Steele and to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer list. Those accolades continued in 2019, being an All-Conference Honorable Mention. He then entered the transfer portal following the 2020 season, which for Illinois State was actually played in the spring of 2021.
For the Razorbacks this past season, Ridgeway totaled 39 tackles with four tackles for loss and two sacks. A former state wrestling champion, Ridgeway will most likely stand out from the crowd at the Senior Bowl, which could cause his draft stock to rise. However, if he’s available here he’s yet another great value pick for the Chicago Bears.