With less than two weeks until the 2020 NFL Draft, the wait is almost over to meet the Chicago Bears’ 2020 draft class. The Bears are once again without a first-round pick, the final in the Khalil Mack trade, but they do own a pair of second-round picks.
But after trading a fourth-round compensatory pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bears only have two picks in the first four rounds. So those two second rounders are even more valuable for general manager Ryan Pace.
In Draft Wire’s new mock draft, Luke Easterling projected the Bears’ targets on offense and defense with their picks in the second, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
RD. 2 – No. 43. Cole Kmet | TE | Notre Dame
Despite the Bears bringing in two veteran tight ends this offseason in Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris, tight end remains a concern for Chicago. While you could argue the Bears shouldn’t use a second rounder on a weak tight end class, whether Pace decides to use a second-round pick on a tight end will tell you everything you need to know. If that’s the the case, he’ll likely have his pick of tight ends, including arguably the best prospect in the tight end class in Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet.
RD. 2 – No. 50. Noah Igbenoghene | CB | Auburn
You figure Pace will use one of his second-round picks on a defensive back, given there are two starting positions up for grabs — one each at cornerback and safety. While Kevin Toliver, Tre Roberson and Artie Burns will be competing for the spot opposite cornerback Kyle Fuller, Pace could also bring in a young prospect like Noah Igbenoghene to compete for the job.
RD 5 – No. 163. Mykal Walker | LB | Fresno State
While the Bears were able to retain their starting inside linebacker duo with the re-signing of Danny Trevathan to return alongside Roquan Smith, Chicago did lose some depth. Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis were both key reserves that stepped in as Trevathan and Smith dealt with injuries, but both have signed elsewhere.
Now, the Bears need depth at inside linebacker, and Mykal Walker would be a great prospect to develop behind two of the game’s best. Given Walker’s versatility at inside linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive end in 2019, the Bears could also choose to plug him in where needed.
Read on for rounds 6 and 7
RD. 6 – No. 196. Scott Frantz | OT | Kansas State
The Bears need plenty of help on the offensive line, and it’s actually a surprise that Draft Wire doesn’t have the Bears targeting offensive line until round 6. There’s an argument to be made that the Bears need to draft a tackle more than a guard if only because the lack of depth behind Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie.
While Chicago does have a vacancy at right guard following Kyle Long’s retirement, Germain Ifedi, Alex Bars and Rashaad Coward will be competing for that job. The others provide solid depth at guard for Chicago. With offensive tackle being a deep class this year, Scott Frantz could be a prospect that can be groomed to ultimately replace Leno or Massie.
RD. 6 – No. 200. Jonathan Garvin | EDGE | Miami (FL)
Pass rusher was certainly an issue for the Bears heading into this offseason. While Khalil Mack remains arguably the best in the game, Chicago parted ways with former first-round pick Leonard Floyd and brought in some help with Robert Quinn, who had 11.5 sacks in 2019. While the Bears also added Barkevious Mingo as a reserve, they could also bring in Miami’s Jonathan Garvin, who would serve well to learn under some of the best in the game in Mack and Quinn.
RD. 7 – No. 226. Robert | WR | Texas A&M
Given the many issues on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver hasn’t really been addressed as a need for Chicago. But with the departure of speedster Taylor Gabriel, the Bears need to draft a receiver. While Kendrick Rogers isn’t the fastest receiver, he could develop into a redzone threat for either quarterback Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles.
RD. 7 – No. 233. Robert Windsor | DL | Penn State
The defensive line remains arguably the Bears’ most solid position, although they did lose a key contributor in Nick Williams to free agency. But with Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Roy Robertson-Harris and Bilal Nichols, they remain a group to be reckoned with. While Robert Windsor has been questioned for his of size and pass rush ability, he might be a prospect worth taking a chance on given his high motor and agility.
