Chicago Bears 7-Round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
The Chicago Bears will enter the 2022 NFL Draft without a first round pick, which makes reading first round 2022 NFL Mock Draft takes rather uneventful for Bears fans. However, Chicago does hold two second-round picks this year and a total of six selections over the seven rounds. The key with those picks will be surrounding Justin Fields will the tools to be successful.
To jump up in the 2021 NFL Draft to get Fields, the Bears sent the New York Giants the 20th and 164th overall picks last year as well as a first round pick and fourth round pick in this year’s draft. Because of that trade, the Bears first pick will be the 39th overall selection instead of what would have been the seventh.
The new regime of Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus will need to build up this Bears team with limited assets in their first year. They’ve added what they could in free agency with players like Byron Pringle, but most of the building of this team is going to have to happen in the 2022 NFL Draft and beyond.
A year ago, the Bears were 25th in receiving yards, 27th in receptions and 29th in receiving touchdowns. Those aren’t the best for any team, much less one with a young quarterback. Looking for additional targets will be a must for the Chicago Bears in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, as well as the real thing in a week.
Similarly, the Bears allowed the most sacks in the NFL with 58 over the 2021 season. Those 58 sacks totaled 428 yards lost, which was also the highest mark in the league. Throw in the loss of James Daniels and offensive line is clearly a must.
Long story short, offense is a must for the Chicago Bears this year. They can still look for defense, and should consider all options, but building up an offense that can allow Justin Fields to grow and become a productive player will be key in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
While offensive line is a bit more of a need for the Chicago Bears most of the talent at that position will likely be off the board with this selection. There’s a chance that one falls, but with no first round picks the Bears are better off trying to find a falling star in the early second round. In this case, that’s Christian Watson.
This is a front loaded wide receiver class, so the odds of a first round talent falling to the Bears at 39 is relatively high. Considering the top targets in Chicago are currently Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown, the Bears should jump at the opportunity to get a first round talent at wide receiver in the second round.
Being from North Dakota State, there’s a chance that Watson is that player. While NDSU has a championship pedigree, he isn’t as battle tested as some of the other prospects that are projected around him.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing over 200 pounds provides solid size. Throw on his 4.36 40-yard time from the NFL Combine and it becomes clear why Watson should be a fringe first round guy. He could become Justin Fields’ best friend with that pairing of size and speed.
Putting off offensive line isn’t something the Bears should do and while that might mean reaching a bit, it’s the price they have to pay to protect Justin Fields. While Sean Rhyan is a second or third round prospect, pick 48 still might be a bit high for him. However, the Chicago Bears can’t wait until 71 to address this need.
The road to success is there for Rhyan with the right direction. He was named to the Freshman All-America team in 2019 after starting all 12 games for UCLA at tackle. He continued there through his college days as a three-year starter that ended with First Team All-PAC 12 honors.
In his transition to the NFL, Rhyan can become a tackle or a guard. At 6-foot-5, his size might point inside, but his skill set and history shows tackle. With the Bears, he could have the opportunity to take over any of those positions during camp, but right tackle might be the focal point.
Rhyan had a good amount of false starts in college, which could frustrate fans, but the potential is there. Being a mid-second round pick, he fills what the Bears need with a relatively high ceiling. It’ll take a bit of time, but he could turn into a really solid lineman in the NFL.
This is a two-for-one pick by the Chicago Bears. The Bears need cornerback help, badly. They also need a returner after losing Jakeem Grant to the Cleveland Browns in free agency. Marcus Jones can come in and fill both those roles.
At just 5-foot-8, Jones is a smaller corner and will have to be used in a slot role. However, he makes up for anything he might lack on defensive in the return game for his value. Jones was the 2021 recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in college football, and he’s received comparisons in the return game to none other than Dante Hall.
Now, that speed in the return game also translates to the slot. Jones can keep up with the speedy receivers put in the slot, which could come in handy against guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit.
Jones will have to overcome certain things that come with being a smaller player. He isn’t the best tackler and will get caught for using his hands too much, but those can be ironed out with time. He really has the potential to be a Devin Hester type player, but better on the defensive side of the field.
While offense was the focal point early, the Chicago Bears really just need help everywhere and defense is showing up more in these mid-to-late rounds. One area that is going to need addressed is the defensive line, specifically the edge.
Isaiah Thomas best translates as a 4-3 edge rusher, but has the ability to be versatile and move around a defense depending on where he lands. Despite a 6-foot-5 frame, he still lacks some intangibles, like power during counter moves and hip strength and movement. Those will cause him to fall a bit, but he can still be productive, like he showed at Oklahoma.
A two-time All-Conference selection at Oklahoma, Thomas tied for eighth in the entire FBS during the 2020 season with 8.5 sacks. He paired that with 12 tackles for loss. He wasn’t able to quite replicate that in 2021 with just 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks, but he did force three fumbles.
At this point in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, Thomas is a low-risk high-reward pick. He has the tools to turn into a strong player and has shown the ability to create havoc. However, there’s reasons to cause concern for how he could translate to the NFL with the possibility of being pushed around by NFL-level offensive linemen.
With two picks over the span of three, the Chicago Bears can get a player with upside on each side of the ball here in the fifth round. While the Bears already took one offensive lineman, they are going to need more than that. Dakota Dozier signed a one-year deal and can play guard if need be, but adding competition there could go a long way.
Luke Fortner was a captain at Kentucky and while he might not be one of the most talented offensive linemen in this class, he has a high ceiling, especially for someone in the fifth round. The base line is there for him to step in and compete for a starting job right away with the potential to grow over time.
Fortner will translate best as a guard to the NFL level. His football IQ and leadership should allow him to be a director of traffic on the line for protections, something that will be very important to a young offensive line.
Where Fortner will need to grow is mainly his timing. When that’s off he can try and make it up in other ways, which causes a chain reaction of problems. If he can fix his timing on blocks he should have a bright future in the NFL.
Once considered the top tight end talent in this class, Charlie Kolar has watched his draft stock plummet after inconsistent tape. However, the talent is still there. Cole Kmet has shown flashes in Chicago, but depth is still a need here for the Bears. It usually takes about three years for tight ends to blossom, so Kmet should be better this coming season, but adding Kolar to the mix could be huge.
Oddly enough, one common comparison for Kolar is in fact Kmet. Kolar is strong in the passing game. He rarely drops passes, no matter the degree of coverage or tackling, and knows how to work back to throws. What is hurting his stock is his run blocking. It needs improvement.
Nevertheless, the talent is there otherwise. He put up stats that garnered multiple Third Team All-American awards and First Team All-Big 12 recognition while also being a finalist for the Mackey award twice. He’s also exhibited a high IQ, winning the William V. Campbell trophy, which is essentially the academic Heisman.
For a late round pick, Kolar has a lot of upside. If he can grow into a clone of Kmet, that would bode well for this Chicago offense.